Extreme eating That's what a family gathering at Mom's should be called: Extreme eating.
There was food enough for our whole Army, kids, grandkids, aunts, uncles and cousins galore! Mom worked herself to a frazzle to ensure everyone had a good time and enough to eat.
Often I question why she goes through all of the hassle. Why put yourself through something that requires cleaning the house, shopping, trying to get lists of things everyone is bringing, trying to round up enough folding chairs...and all for what? A few hours with the family.
Therein lays the answer. It is all for a few precious hours with the family. Getting caught up on who's where and who's headed where and what are their plans? It's finding out about impending marriage plans, engagements, babies on the way, babies in the making and jobs hither and yon. It's being together to share good news, and being there to support one another during bad news.
We had lots of good news yesterday. The two Katies have interviews today with great job offers and they haven't even graduated college yet. We had news of Shane's plans to send out resume's to the different police stations in areas Katy is interviewing. We had great news of plans for summer vacations and Lorie and Stacy's trip to see Joshua in Georgia for Mother's Day. He has a 36-hour pass.
But we had our share of bad news, and thankfully we were all gathered together to help buffer the blow. Lorie and Stacy got a call from Josh. He was on speakerphone and broke the news that he will be stationed on the other side of the US in Washington state. Though they didn't cry in front of us, everyone could hear their hearts breaking. And we huddled around them, like bison against a predator, circling our weakened, wounded ones in the safety of the family herd.
My answer came in that instant. That's why Mom does it, why she sacrifices and never complains. It is so we can be a family, so that the ties that bind us will hold us together long after we say goodbye. So the ties will form a safety net to catch the falling, and a sweet hammock to rest in when the danger is past.
So that all who come under the safety of her roof will find the ties that bind.
Sharon Raines has two books available: 'Through Mom's Eyes'at http://www.publishamerica.net/product27236.html and 'I'm still the cuckoo of this clock' http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sharonraines You can also check me out on Twitter. http://twitter.com/ Franks1wife
1 comment:
Yes Sharon that is exactly why she does it and every hammock is weaved differently but at the end is used in the same way to hold us all together. I loved reading your story as always. The people in it are beautiful and full of love and for that period of time that I am reading... I am there and a part of the family too! Love you all!
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