Frequency needs to increase

It was a perfect sunny Sunday. We got together with my two brothers and their wives. The last time we all got together was on Christmas. The older we get, the faster time goes.

We had previously agreed to meet at a park in Richmond. Neither of us had been to this particular park before. It probably won’t be the last time we meet there as it was a quiet and peaceful place to catch up on each other’s lives. There were several sets of geese for entertainment when the conversation lagged. My brother Michael said he saw a frog in the creek but I never did see it.

We all showed our ages as we compared aches and pains. Apryl, David’s wife, has been training for a breast cancer walk coming up this fall. She is up to 16 miles a day. Her only complaint was a pain in her knee when she walks too far. Me, I am up to one mile a day. She’s younger than I am so she has more energy. At least that is my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Sometimes I wonder if every family tends to grow apart once the older generation passes away. It is not that we don’t like each other as much as it is that life gets away from us. When we are children our main responsibilities revolve around school and any extra classes that our parents sign us up for.

We visit our grandparents because that is where our parents take us. Then we become teenagers who think we know everything. We would rather be with our friends than sit around with old people who tell us stories that we have heard so often that we can recite them.

Gradually, people begin dying. That favorite aunt or uncle dies too young. Then the grandparents and their friends slow down and don’t visit each other for any number of reasons. Before you know it you are the oldest one in your immediate family.

For the past year or so we have been told to stay home as much as we can. Thankfully, we are beginning to return to normal. Family get-togethers are once again possible. Masks are no longer mandatory everywhere.

It felt so good to see family without wondering if everybody had been vaccinated and if the vaccine is as reliable as we have been told. Hugging is allowed. Humans thrive on touch. This last year of not being allowed to hold our loved ones has been something I hope I never experience again.

We ended our visit with a stop at the waterfall near the entrance to the park. My brother David thought we should go wading and stand by the falls for a picture. I considered it. We decided not to do that this time. There was no point in taking a chance on slipping and falling in. Maybe next time we can find a better place to take a picture.

We vowed to get together more often. We talked about going to the zoo sometime this summer. We left it up to Michael to choose a date as his schedule is the most restrictive. I hope we don’t have to wait another six months before we see each other again.