FAMILY - A WONDERFUL WORD

When I was a little girl one of the events that I actually despised with a passion was the trip to Columbia to see my grandfather. Six adults and I would get into an automobile with my uncle driving and away we would go. I had to sit in somebody's lap and I hated that. It would be so hot in the summer and with the windows down and the wind blowing it was just horrible. However, we would eventually get there and we would eat a big meal and then the grown ups would sit on the porch and talk and talk and talk. My cousins and I would wander around the place scaring the poor chickens to death and wanting so badly to go down the "bluff" to the Duck River but we were warned that we would be spanked if we did, and I guess that we were afraid of the river also so we didn't go down there. That is - all except Miller and Ronald and they would strip off their clothes and swim for hours. After all of the grown ups had exhausted their conversations and the food was consumed we would pile into that car and drive back. When I would protest and cry and beg not to go my mother would very calmly say "that is family and you must remember that being a part of a family is most important and don't you ever forget who you are and what your family means to you. They will be there when nobody else will". I have never forgotten those words and I believe it more now than I ever did before.

Last night we had one of those "Family" times. Patrick married Mikka at Madison Church of Christ and it took the whole family to put on the affair. Kim stressed and worried over the arrangements for months and then the big night came. Nita assisted Talisa (a family friend) in decorating the chapel and the reception room, Corinne directed the wedding - making sure that everybody knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Jacque served the punch, Nita cut and served the wedding cake, Tracey cut and served the groom's cake (shaped like a guitar), Samantha who is like a member of the family, came with sandwiches and drinks and fixed Mikka's hair, Kim's hair, Joesea's hair and my hair. After it was all over and the bride and groom left for a dinner and night at the Opryland Hotel (gift from his aunts) all of the family kicked off their shoes and worked for hours cleaning up the reception area, packing up all of the things and leaving the church ready for Sunday services. You have heard it said that "it takes a village" well, it takes a family to put on a beautiful, sweet, fun wedding and that is what we had last night. It was such a happy time and memories were made never to be forgotten.

Today was another Family Day - Anni Grace Routh, Emily and Jackson's daughter, was baptized at Long Hollow Baptist Church. As you might suspect, she had twenty two family members attending this most important day in her life. Somebody said "when one of you does something all the rest come along" and that is so true. There you have that word "family" again. We support each other in every endeavor. I hope and pray that the legacy of family will go on forever.

It is always so good to be with loved ones. At the wedding my sweet sister-in-law, Rose Mary, and her husband Ron, drove from Georgia to attend. Since there was so many pictures to be made and so many people to speak with none of us were able to sit down and visit with Rose Mary and Ron and today that has been the subject of conversation, how much we all regret that we didn't get to spend time with these delightful, loving people. We went to Georgia when their son married and it was one of the best week-ends of my life. Maybe we can make another trip to their lovely home and get caught up on Family Talk. That is one of the problems you encounter at an event like a wedding - just not enough time to visit and enjoy all of the guests that attend. I really don't know how to conquer this malady because there are just so many things that are required of family members. Maybe someone wiser than I will come up with a solution.

When God created Heaven and Earth and put Adam and Eve in the garden He made the first family. It was totally His idea that we should live in this manner and I totally agree. Billy and I married, had children who married and had children, and so on and I am so proud when I look at these people and know that they are my family. We laugh, cry, love and support each other in everything that comes along. God gave me this incredible family because as I have told you many times God is good - all the time.

TIME

Today I am thinking about TIME - time to get up; time to go to bed; what time do I need to be there? What time will it be over? time is precious and not to be wasted (my mother's advice) and that is true. I guess what I am getting at is "how time flies" and where does the time go? I really don't think that I am using the time that I have left here on earth to the best advantage, and yet I really don't know what to cut out or what to add or exactly how to manage my time in the best way. All of these thoughts came rushing into my mind yesterday as I pulled out a huge box of pictures that I had stuck in the closet when I moved. Now, if you are a scrap booking person you know that you use the pictures in your book that tell the story of the event and you discard the rest. The word "discard" is not in my vocabulary. I don't discard anything and my girls will attest to that due to the things that they discarded during my move from the house to the apartment. I am now sitting in a room that has pictures in little piles all over the floor, the desk, and everywhere else. These stacks of pictures tell stories to me of times that are past - Courtney's childhood, Patrick graduating from kindergarten, Tracey graduating from U. T. Martin, my mother opening the last stack of presents that she ever received on her last Mother's Day and on and on. I have a suspicion that in a little while I will put every one of the pictures back in the box and slide it back in the closet and one of these days my girls will have the task of discarding. Don't you think that is a splendid idea? Poor daughters of mine!!!!

Today, will no doubt be a day of random thoughts on several issues since I haven't written in so long. I am beginning to be so excited over the upcoming event that is Patrick and Mikka's wedding on the 26th of this month. For the past two Sunday afternoons I have gone to parties in their honor and it has been such fun to see the old friends and family that have come to show their love for these two special people. The outpouring of lovely gifts has just been astounding. All of the arrangements for the wedding have been made and now it is just a matter of waiting for the big day to see it all come together. With the talent of the people in charge I know that it will be a sweet and loving day for all of us to remember. It will be a good time to remember. There goes that word "time" again. As a post script to this paragraph I will admit that I have been praying for a long time that the Lord would grant me enough time on earth to see my precious grandson find just the right woman for him to love, cherish and marry. It will be a happy day for me in two weeks!

Other tasks that have been absorbing my time are working on the Scholarship Committee for the East High Alumni Association. Each year we give scholarships to direct descendants of East High graduates that qualify and this year I have received 37 applications. At this point in the selection procedure I don't know how many awards we will be able to give nor how much money each will be until we see the amount of money that we have in our funds account. Last year we gave 15 awards at $2,00o.00 each. I am happy to say that my Courtney qualified and was given the award to go to her account at U. T. Knoxville. We have some outstanding students that have applied. I can't tell you how many 4.0 grade point averages we have and all of the outstanding extra curricular activities and honors students have these days. It sure beats my history of high school and I really didn't do too bad myself. Another task that is requiring my energy and time is my High School Reunion - 60th Reunion - I can hardly absorb the thought that I have been out of school for 60 years. I have made arrangements with the hotel and we will be having this event on August 13th. Wonder how many of my old friends will be able to come? So many of them have passed on and some are ill but I bet we still have a good crowd of my peers that will come and have a great time. I have titled the reunion "The Last Fling", thinking it will probably be the last time to plan such an event but you just never know - Time will tell!

Speaking of time (which I have done repeatedly in this epistle) I need to close this up and go to church. It is time for me to go and worship because I need to be reminded and to say to myself and others that God is good - all the time.