I just came home from a week-long family reunion in Upper Michigan. Yes, you read that right… A WEEK – long!
Every three years my Dad’s side of the family gathers at a resort in Michigan to come together and celebrate family. My father is one of 12 children and I am one of 31 first cousins. Most of the first cousins now have children of their own, so it is an enormous feat to bring together three generations of family in one location from across the country.
I have never met anyone else who has these kind of reunions, both in duration and scope. The commitment of everyone who partakes is nothing less than remarkable. Those brave souls that marry into this family are special ;). It’s a big ‘ask’ to commit for your lifetime to attend a reunion of a family you didn’t grow up with. I consciously acknowledge and honor that in every spouse who was not a Garwood. My husband has been to 7 reunions now. There have been 10 reunions to date. And with each new one brings new babies, new spouses, new step-children… basically new and more people to love. There are so many activities organized throughout the week–from a road rally to a canoe trip and a cook-off. People celebrate birthdays there (my 50th and Annie’s 16th), anniversaries, and we even hosted a wedding one year. One of my very favorite moments from this year’s reunion was when a bunch of my family members, whom were in an active volleyball game, stopped playing when I walked up and all sang Happy Birthday to me! You see with a June birthday I am never around extended family… so for me to be with my people… well, it was truly special.
When I tell people about my family’s reunion, some of the questions that I get asked are “So you actually like your family?” or “Do you all get along?” And my answer is usually something like “Yes I do” and “yes we do!” You see the great thing about family is the unconditional love part: I respect you, I like you, I love you, because of our shared history. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of differences among us, but it doesn’t matter. We understand how special it is to be a part of this greater extension of ourselves. We do. Even if there are behaviors or qualities about family members that get on our nerves, we can just acknowledge it and move on. The commitment we have all made to attend and participate in these reunions have branched out to weddings and funerals. We get that the point in life is to connect and love… this family truly gets it!
I have learned so many things from my family and from being part of such a wonderful and close community of people: faith, love, commitment, loyalty, communication, honor, pride, connection, and lastly gratitude. I am so deeply grateful to be a part of the Garwood Family, to know that I have places to stay the night in California, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and of course Michigan (all over the state). I know that if I need advice in a myriad of different areas (legal and psychological for instance), it is only an email or phone call away. I hope I am fostering this same openness and closeness in my own children–this way of being that honors family and creates a lifetime of connection and pride.
And lastly, one more question I get asked regularly is “do you get t-shirts?”
Of course we do! ☺
