Last night we attended the Brown family reunion. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant about attending. It had the makings of being a strange experience...large group of people I didn't know, advertised "talent" show, potluck, 3 kids with low tolerance for heat, mosquitoes, and strangers. But to the reunion we went...and what a fabulous evening we had!
We arrived at a beautiful home with an absolutely smashing backyard. Badmitton, volleyball, trampoline...as we pulled up, my children spotted 3 of their favorite cousins and they were off. I went inside to offer my meager pasta salad for the potluck and to get my name tag. I felt a moment of tremendous pride when they handed me the name tag with "VERA" written at the top. She is my grandmother and I have always felt so proud to be her granddaughter. I loved writing my name on that tag and having people know I belonged to this woman. Although I have to admit I sometimes feel like the "bull in the china shop" when it comes to how closely I resemble this remarkable woman. She was elegant, refined, polished, and a tremendous hostess. I am fashion disabled, put ketchup bottles and milk jugs RIGHT ON THE TABLE, and haven't ironed a tablecloth or pillowcase in my entire life. I have much to aspire to. Vera truly was a stalwart, strong, amazing woman.
We headed outside where HB immediately found a new friend that she announced was her "twin". They both had the same name, were the same age (born 7 days apart), had blue eyes, were wearing leggings, and had stripes on their dresses. I wish making connections to new people were that easy for adults.
We ate potluck, we met lots of new people (just a side note...this family is really good-looking. I've never seen so many handsome men, beautiful women, and cute kids! Although my grandmother was always a "turn your head" beauty!), listened to a loud but very talented sixties band, played basketball for quarters and dollars, visited with lots of cousins I haven't seen in a long time, and played badmitton! Then it was time for the talent show.
The family hosting the affair had a great big back porch that extended out into the backyard and was raised a few feet off the ground. HB listened to a couple of piano solos and then asked me what was going on. I told her it was a talent show and people were performing their talents. "I want to be in the talent show," she announced.
"Well, sweetheart, I don't think we can. You were supposed to sign up before you came," I replied.
"But I want to be in the show," she answered. I could tell we had just locked horns.
"Sweetheart, see that man up there with the clipboard? He has all the names of the people who are doing something but your name isn't on there."
"Oh."
I thought the matter was resolved. I turned around for 30 seconds to get something out of my purse and when I looked back, HB was gone. Suddenly, I noticed a pair of sparkly silver shoes headed up the stairs toward the "talent show". My jaw really, truly hit the ground. I beckoned frantically to Chris who was standing on the stairs closest to her but it was too late. She marched across the stage to the man with the clipboard and started having a conversation. I leaped over chairs, bounded through bodies, and ran up the stairs in time to hear the man say, "So you want to tap dance? Do you have any music?"
"No," HB replied.
I was awkward as I tried to interrupt the conversation on the stage in front of a whole group of people that I was trying desperately not to embarass my grandmother in front of. The kind man explained that HB was signing up to do tap dancing and it was just fine with him if it was OK with me. What could I say? I had a pair of giant blue eyes looking at me with such longing and yearning in her face that I couldn't say no. I headed off to the car to try and find a CD and a prayer in my heart that my daughter had somehow learned to tap dance when I wasn't looking.
She waited so anxiously through the rest of the talent show. When they called her name, she took off up the stairs and headed out to center stage with pure happiness written across that darling face. She stood and looked at me to get the music going. We chose Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "Supercalifragilistic" and off she went. That girl tap danced her heart out in those sparkly silver shoes. I was absolutely stunned. There were over 160 people sitting on that lawn. She knew maybe 10 of them. She has never had a dance lesson in her life...and I'm not sure where she even learned about tap dancing. But she danced her heart out. It was beautiful and charming and I think she actually did a couple of real tap dancing moves. Where did this chunk of pure delight come from? Oh, my grandmother. Vera. How fitting. What a perfect tribute. My grandmother's great-granddaughter got up on stage in her silver shoes with her french braids and big silver bows and performed. She made people happy and made them smile and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. That was my grandmother. She was always beautiful and "fancy" and elegant and loved little girls in sweet dresses with big bows and sparkly shoes. Vera loved to make people happy and loved life. I saw a my grandmother in my sweet girl and it made me cry a little. Mostly it made me happy. HB has inherited her grandmother's taste for fancy, beautiful, feminine things. She has inherited her confidence and fortitude and ability to make people happy. I loved every minute of the that little tap dance. It made my grandmother so alive again!
The reunion was a joy. JC jumped into a game of volleyball with a group of adults he didn't know and played with gusto. That surprised me. MC played with a ton of kids all night and had a ball. They didn't feel shy or huddle around my chair...they played and felt at home and seemed to just mesh right in. It may not seem like much, but I felt constantly a little surprised last night. And when I mentioned it to someone, they said, "Why are you surprised? They are with family!" Yes, they were with family.
What a surprise! I rediscovered the joy my extended family brings me, the eternal connections we share that I treasure and hold dear, the characteristics I admire and respect and adore about these people that have physically, spiritually, and emotionally made me who I am, and the gift that having family is. All at a family reunion that I was afraid was going to be a little boring.
Life's little surprises are amazing. I'm so glad I didn't miss it!
For photographic evidence of the aforementioned events, please visit Mo's blog
