Family is Everything
Remember family gatherings? They occupy a foggy spot in my memory, too. You’d show up with a warm dish of food, maybe a six pack. Hugs all around. Then to the kitchen to taste what smelled so good. Hold onto those memories. We’re gonna have them back IRL. And, hopefully, sooner than later.
One recent family gathering I remember wasn’t even my own but it held all the same warmth and joy that I have come to expect from my own family’s get togethers. Courtney was having a birthday and her family came from all around to help her celebrate.
Ali Wilhelm of AW Events called me to see if I could be there for the festivities. It was just up the road in Windsor so it was no problem for me. And I’m glad I did. It was a warm Friday in June and as I pulled up to their home I could smell the unmistakable wafts of a seafood boil coming from the garage where caterers set up a makeshift kitchen for the night’s dinner. I filed that wonderful scent away into my memory banks and went inside to meet Courtney and Cameron.
They were gracious hosts and pointed me toward the backyard where I could see the day’s action coming into full swing. They wanted to take advantage of having all the family together so I looked around for a spot to set up for family photos.
After locating a nice spot, I started documenting the evenings action including the bath time ritual for their daughter. Memories came flooding back of my own daughter’s night time routine so many years ago, including a bath followed by a reading of Goodnight Moon. I watched as Cameron gave his daughter her bottle and recognized the smile of pride and joy that swept across his face.
With one eye on the baby monitor, the adults had time to celebrate Courtney’s big day. A cocktail party complete with mojitos and oysters came next as the family caught up. Then they gathered around the dinner table for a prayer and settled into a comfortable conversation punctuated by mouthfuls of crawfish and lobster. Warm weather, good food, better conversation. It was everything you could ask for in a family gathering.
