FAMILY REUNIONS, A WAY TO BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER

Today in this blog, I would like to talk to you about observing an event that so many families have practiced through the years which is “Family Reunions”.  Many families have attended family reunions, and as a result family members have connected closer with each other.  It is important for us to know that, “Family Reunions” can be a tool to help us build healthy and strong extended family relationships.  I believe participating in family reunions is a way to bring families together.  On May 23, 2015, I am proud to say I enjoyed taking part and participating in two great family reunions.  My family, the Jones - Stradford family, came together for our 20^th Cousins Round Up family reunion, and my wife’s family, the Wallace family, came together for their first ever family reunion.  It was good seeing family members over a happy occasion, instead of seeing them over a sad occasion at a funeral.

As I stated family reunions have been practiced by many families down through the years.  In a Washington Post article titled “The Family Reunion Trip: It’s All Relatives” written by Gary Lee in January 2006, he wrote about Family Reunions in the African American culture.  Mr. Lee in his article wanted to show how African American families participate and bond closer together through family reunions.  He focused his report on a family named “The Fisher”.  The Fisher family history tracks back to descendants, by blood or marriage, of Orange and Berry, two brothers born in the late 1800’s in Lancaster County, S.C.  In the late 1940’s and 1950’s, the grandchildren began to migrate to New Jersey, and to other parts north in search for better jobs.  The two brothers died in the 1950’s.  Their descendants have been meeting every two years since the late 1990’s.  In fact when this article was written, their family reunion was taking place in Atlanta, GA., where they had three-days of celebrating as a family. 

Focusing on our family, I had the privilege of talking to my cousin Dwight who is the one that had the vision behind “The Cousin Round Up”.  He shared with me the family reunion has been going on for 25 years now, and from everyone’s feedback this year’s reunion was the best.  Dwight said everything started with him in the 1980’s, when he noticed how we were losing our aunts and uncles because of death.  It was in 1990 when his mom passed away.  He mentioned that whenever he would see family members, it was always at a funeral.  Even though we would have a good time with each other, it was always at a sad occasion over someone’s death.  It was through this experience that “The Cousin Round Up” was birthed through him in 1990.  Dwight’s desire was that we would come together as a family, and have a good time with one another at a good occasion.  He would supply the place for the reunion, all we had to do was to come, bring our food, and have a nice time together as a family.  The reunion would be held every two years around the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  This year a committee was formed for the reunion, and a family Facebook group page was created called “The Family of Henry and Lula Jones”.  It had a picture of my Aunt Lula and Uncle Henry Jones, and all of their children, that dated back around 1945-1947.  I must say the committee did a great job in making, “The Cousin Round Up” a pleasant experience for us that are a part of this fantastic family.

For my wife’s family we would always get together over someone’s funeral, so this year her family decided to have a family reunion.  Even though their family isn’t as big as my family, we had relatives coming from Georgia, and around our area.  Their committee met and they work out things to bring us together as a family, so we could continue to build good relationships with each other. 

It is important for us to do things that will keep us connected together with our extended family, instead of allowing things to keep us isolated from them.  The good thing about attending family reunions are, coming together and sharing our family stories with other family members. Coming together and eating good food, along with participating in different activities.  Also not allowing conflicts or problems to keep us separated from our family.  All of these things help draw us closer together with each other.  It has been said “Friends come and go, but family is forever.”  Family Reunions can be a tool to bring us closer together as a family, and keep us connected to one another.  Be intentional about participating in your family reunion and build closer family ties with your extended family.

Would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or feedback.