Independence Day is a hoppin’ holiday for our extended family. Lake heritage and
relational commitment pull all 18 of us together for several days of
celebratory summer frivolity on and around each 4th of July. Highlights
include face painting, fireworks, swimming, water balloons (airborne toward the lake with a huge slingshot), water sports, corn hole, and traditional
lip-smackin’ food.
Today I’m recapping freshly made memories as the once-full hammock
hangs empty and limp, and wet lifejackets lay crumpled on the deck after last
evening’s farewell swim. Our time together this year marked some big shifts: one family's move across country (they're in the car on an interstate as I type this) and another individual's potential change that could also necessitate a major move even farther away. I’m
overwhelmed with gratitude for family members who encourage and support one another through ever-present changes and challenges, and also prioritize spending time together to play. That, too, requires commitment.
The grandkids get it this. They watch, listen to
conversation, and learn what it means to be committed, to enjoy each other and support each other, to belong to this family. I am grateful for our ever-emerging legacy. We are blessed.
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