This month we gathered for our Mom's 80th birthday! All her children drove or flew in. We came in to celebrate her milestone and to see each other. There are a lot of miles that separate us from each other and we use family milestones to see each other.
We are a LOUD group and as we age it is exhausting. How do you do everything in a weekend? We try very hard. We tell stories. We catch up. We laugh and we touch each other. We cook together. We play games and yes, we managed to get in some sight seeing!
As the family historian it was an opportunity to share what I have learned about out family. Mom set the stage by having old papers, certificates and report cards sorted and ready to be mailed to each of her children. She didn't know we were coming.
So the stage was set and ready for discussion of our ancestors. I got to pull out my techie side and used my iPad and the Apple TV to show photos of grandparents, aunts, uncles and great grandparents. We all got to talk about them and were delighted to find physical characteristics of ourselves in the people on the screen. Mom and Dad told stories and we got the glimmer of them as people and not just our parents. It was one of the many highlights for me.
As much as I enjoy digging up the dead, it was better to spend time with the living!
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| Happy Birthday! |
