Family Traditions

[JamesT]

As I sat and read the local paper and slammed a cup of java I planned todays adventure with my 6 year old son Rory. Today is our annual Dad & Son Monster Truck Show day. Its a big deal for us cuz we both love that type of stuff. The HUGE monter trucks, the crowd, the noise, its just cool. Anyway...my point/question.

My family is small. In fact, its just me, my wife, and the 3 kids. One goes to school in Phoenix. We have no extended family to speak of other than a few cousins, aunts and uncles hat are scattered around. Nobody stays in touch. Parents are dead on both sides. Just us. We had the honor of spending this past holiday with a freinds family who is about 30 strong. Grandma & Grandpa down to the several small kids. They gather each Thanksgiving. All of them. They put aside petty diffences and just be a family. As we sat at dinner and looked around I was moved by what I observed. I sat there and blocked out all sound and looked around at the smiles, the laughs, the gentle lean in to the person sitting next to them. Really cool to watch. My wife tuged at my shirt and asked what I was grinning about. I was grinning because at 43 years old it hit me that we, my small family, are the foundation for what were were introduced to that day. I want to grow old and sit arround a huge picnic table and look at the family "we" were the foundation for. I want to be the old man that drives up and all 30 people rush out to be sure I dont fall as I exit my car. I want to be the old man who falls asleep in the living room and all 30 peolple take their turn in assuring that the blanket one of the grand kids put over me is covering my feet. I want to be the old man that everyone says "hey grandpa do you remeber when?..." I want to be the old man that everyone says "He and grandma are the foundtion to our family."

I kind of went off on a tangent here. I just started typing and thats what came out. Kind sappy I know.

What are your traditions? Do you have large families?

Anyway, I was just thinking. Gotta head off the the MONSTER TRUCK SHOW. GRRRRRRRRRR.