Depending on where you are in your particular family life cycle, hearing the phrase “Family Togetherness” may wrap your heart like a warm hug or may cause you to run screaming from the room.
In my case, the chicks are all grown and have flown the coop. When my progeny all come together under the same roof, I sleep sounder at night. It fills me with joy. However, there was a time when I wanted to run kicking and screaming from their loving and sometimes all encompassing embrace, but that’s a tale most moms can relate to, and there is certainly no need to go into the gory details here.
This past weekend, the stars and planets were aligned just right and we were together as an entire family at the cottage. As we were having dinner on Saturday night, the youngest, wanting to relive the defining moments of his childhood, asked his siblings what were some of their worst memories of growing up. He is a bit of a “glass half-empty” kind of kid. We all laughed and then they were off down memory lane, telling stories about the time(s) mom yelled, or the time blood spurt everywhere when dad cut the youngest with an electric razor during his inaugural shave.
As I listened to my kids tell these tales it struck me that even with all the digital advances we have made with memory keeping, a family’s folklore and history really lives best through good old fashioned story telling. It is the telling and retelling of these anecdotes that connect us as a family. In our family, some of the stories have been told so many times that my kids and their cousins use a shorthand system to refer to them. As in, “Oh come on Uncle Roger, tell us Chapter 18 again.” (Chapter 18 is the tale of how my husband came to shave off his moustache of 31 years, after losing a hockey bet.)
My daughter and I collaborated on Saturday to create this cocktail. One to two of these will be all you’ll need to get the stories flowing. Somehow, the kids and I polished off the entire pitcher while my husband was napping on the hammock, so I am certain that by next summer he will be telling the saga of his hurt feelings when his family neglected him during aperitivo hour.
Click here to print recipe for Watermelon Lime Gin Fizz.
Icy cold watermelon spiked with lime and gin refreshes like nothing else on a sweltering afternoon.
Beautiful story xoxoxo
Thanks Faith. I am sure you have lots of good stories inside your head!
Yes like the time we bought a watermelon and tied our hands behind our back and ate the watermelon in the park. Remember?
So true about the storytelling telling Cindy. I feel this more then ever now and it’s how we keep the memories that shape us continuing from generation to generation. The gin doesn’t hurt either.
Thanks Linda. Just keep telling your kids all the stories about their grandmother.
I totally understand the concept of needing the planets and stars to line up in order for everyone to be gathered together! For the past two years (not this coming year) my two kids were both available from work or school to spend “Spring Break” as a family. I am so grateful that we took advantage of this sadly rare opportunity! The shared family stories, the stories of our parents and grandparents youth, the inside jokes and shorthand. These are what connect the varied and unique people who happen to be family. 🙂 I have always loved family stories but I wish I had realized sooner how important they are. As the older generation dies, unless the stories are told and remembered, the memories die with them. The details are lost forever. Too bad the digital advances of memory keeping don’t include a way to download memories stored in a head! Its something to ponder while sipping contentedly on a watermelon lime gin fizz. It looks incredibly cool and refreshing!
Thanks Wendy. Sometimes I think we are living parallel lives!
You don’t even know how parallel, Cindy! Two weeks ago I broke my ankle and one of the first things I did after they put on the non-weight bearing cast was to look for your post about your broken foot to figure out how I was going to bake! 🙂
You are taking some incredible photos, Cindy! What a pleasure to be introduced to your blog through class. I love your cottage stories – they take me back to college summers when I’d tag along with McGill friends to family cottages. Missing The Great North here in DC.
Thanks for your comment Cosima. So nice to hear from you. Are you continuing on with Food writing 102?