My Family Tree

Email to my dad’s parents on their 58th wedding anniversary August 12, 2009:
“Dear Grannie Annie and Grandfather, Congratulations on your 58th wedding anniversary! That was fun in Cloudcroft when we all gathered together for your 50th. It’s hard to believe that was eight years ago. I think one of my favorite memories from that trip was playing the “pass the animal” game or whatever its name was. I don’t know how we found a game easy enough for the youngest cousins and still engaging and fun enough to keep everyone focused, but that was the perfect game! Grandfather, your giraffe impersonation was my absolute favorite—I remember cracking up every time you’d do the neck motion with your arms and give whoever was next to you that round a sideways glance to see if they’d challenge you. I always wondered where my dad got that look! Now I know. And Grannie Annie, seeing you laugh in conversation is different than the uncontrollable laughter that game caused! What fun. I think that was the first time our family all got together that I was old enough to see personalities come out and razz each other. And seeing my dad (always Daddy to me) become Daddy the older brother, Daddy the son, Daddy the younger brother, was like getting to see a piece of all the stories I hear about your family while my parents were kids. I hope your anniversary this year is much celebrated! It’s because of the two of you that the rest of us are even here. Happy anniversary and LOTS OF LOVE!!”My immediate family and every single one of my aunts and uncles on both sides, plus my mom’s mom, gathered in San Diego this past weekend for my grandmother’s memorial service. Like my mom’s dad used to say, “The only time you see everyone is at weddings and funerals.” Fortunately many of us were together for Hannie’s wedding in May. The circumstances were more somber this time, but it was wonderful to hear again the story of how my grandparents met and sit around watching slides of my parents 10 years younger than I am now dressed up for Sadie Hawkins and hearing stories of hiking trips through the Sierra Mountains or to the coast at New Years. And while it was too bad none of our spouses could come, I sure did enjoy staying up late with my brothers and sis playing 99, a card game where, as Luke said, “You try not to lose, but no one really wins.” The loser of each round had to play the next round with an ice cube down the back of his/her pants, a game and penalty conjured up during the aforementioned 50th anniversary trip to Cloudcroft. I think I was reigning loser this trip with a low score of three ice cubes at one point. Fun times!