Deflection

I just spent a heart felt weekend with family. Yesterday, we had our Helle Family Reunion to celebrate my great grandparent’s wedding 122 years ago. George and Ida Helle had 13 children with 12 becoming adults. They had 49 grandchildren, with ten grandchildren there for the family reunion. My uncle is the oldest at the age of 94 years old. As a side note, my dad will be 91 years old this month and he drove 200 miles for the reunion. One cousin came in from Florida, and one from Arizona, which was about the same distance away. The youngest grandchild lives in the state of Hawaii. By working with others this weekend, I feel that there are five that were that did not make the region. As far as second generation of cousins, my generation, there was 18 cousins. This information is really not new to most of the readers, since 60 percent of the readers are cousins.

Grand grandma Helle past away at the age of 93 when I was 15 years old. At that time in my family’s life, my parents took us to the annual family reunions, so I remember great grandma very well. At these family reunions, she kept this family together. There was no question about her involvement. But, as I have talked to people that have grown up in a family of over ten children, there is a dynamic that takes place that is not seen in smaller families, but there is a glue that holds these families together and last for generations, like 122 years. As I have tried to look into this issue, I have found that there is always something to talk about with these large families. And, at these family reunions, we are consistently talking about family members from our great grandparents to today’s children, like my 1.5 year old grandnephew that is so adorable. We talk about every issues that involves the family from heath issues to educating the young. There is a hug range of topic for us to discuss that holds us closely together. 

Great grandma Helle was a loving person, and we all felt her love for us. It is just like today, we still feel her love, and we feel her love in each of the family members. We are there for each other. Grand grandma was an affectionate person. When we when in to see her, she would give us a hug when we went in to see her and when we left. That love is still carried on in all of her decedents today. It is that close love that has keep us together for 122 years.

The place that we have held the family reunion for the past ten years or so, was unavailable this year. One of our first generation cousins was able to get a church reception hall for this year’s reunion. But, with most of the first generation cousins in there eighties, it seems like it is time to look at the second generation cousins to take the lead for this reunion. And, as I have typed above, this year’s reunion is a success, and we want to continue the reunion. So, since I seem to be the one that some of the cousins are looking at for leadership of this reunion, I have my work cut out for me. But, as I have discussed the issue with a few cousins this weekend, we have a plan, so I will start making phone calls to keep this reunion alive.

As for me, they state that family caregivers need to get away from time to time. And, as for this family reunion, it was the best medication that anyone could ask for regarding getting away for a few days. Not only did I get away for a few days, but I was with my loving and caring family. I could have never asked for anything better. 

There will be next year, and we will be together again. It is something that we have to look forward to keep our lives positive.

Roger