It's the land of the bayou, hollers, and cricks (translate: creeks for my fellow northerners). It's the land where my husband's family hails from. Where good ol' boys still wave as they drive by on the road. The men (and sometimes women) go hunting before breakfast, and if you're lucky, you'll have squirrel and dumplings for lunch.
That's where my family and I went for Thanksgiving week. I would be lying if I said I was completely looking forward to the trip before we left. It's just such a completely different world than we choose to live in everyday. Once we get there, though, it's good. It isn't just good. It's sweet. It's family and welcoming, and wonderful, homey food. Homemade wine and cans of beer seem to be the beverages of choice. It's not that we don't have those things at home, but somehow it's different there.
I'm under no illusions that life or family is perfect there. It's not. There have been some really big bumps and lumps along the way for many of these folks. But it took one of these wise folks saying something to open my eyes to how truly special this family is. As we sat outside on the porch drinking some of that homemade wine and telling stories of loved ones and days gone by, one of the uncles piped up with his not surprised, but accurate none the less, observation of what a blessed family we are. Blessed indeed in so many ways. I do get to say we, not because I married into the family 16 years ago, but because they have welcomed me from day 1 into the family. They are just honest to goodness, genuine people. They are doing family well.
How does your family do family well? I'd love to hear some of your high points of family gatherings. Tell me about it in the comment section below.
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