“With 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grands you probably don’t know all their names,” my cousin speculated during a recent conversation.
“Yes, we do. We pray for each one by name every day,” I said. I could have added that we travel hundreds of miles a couple times a year so we know each other better and gain a renewed focus to our prayers.
We had just traveled two days to visit one who wistfully said, “I really miss my baby since they moved.” Baby moved a whole 20 or 30 minutes drive away. Some travel, some do not. We have visited family in Lancaster, Penn. There in Amish country, folks automatically know how to pronounce our last name: my husband’s great-grandparents were Amish. We also have family in Washington State where few know how to pronounce our name. Most of our families live in Michigan and Indiana with others in the Little Rock and St. Louis areas.
My 84 year-old husband still drives us to visit everyone. We will continue to go if only so he can hold the new babies, watch the antics of the preschoolers, listen to tales told by children and see their parents.
During our recent trip for a 40th birthday party, I made sure to take full length pictures of one son and his wife. Both quit eating sugar and carbs in favor of a keto type diet. Since Christmas they have lost 50-75 pounds. They can’t stop talking about how good they feel.
We could not stop gushing over the tables of desserts at the party. The abstainers drank water or coffee. The vegetarian made do with eggs, beans, peanut butter, fruit and desserts.
Sometimes our heads spin trying to keep up with folks let alone their changes. For instance, iIn the span of one year one mother reported decisions to homeschool, send their children to a private school and now we hear they will actually be in public school this fall. An increasing awareness of one child’s special needs and the limitations of homeschooling for that child dictated the moves. Their child needs special help. Others adhere to homeschool while one couple refuses to discuss it because “We were homeschooled. We will not homeschool our children.”
With no consensus about schooling I try another topic, “Have you read any good books this summer?”
“Let me tell you about the video games we played,” too many respond.
Going to church together can be difficult when some profess to be atheists or agnostics. I have joined in worship with everything from liturgical to charismatic services. Although most do guitars and keyboards, I prefer the Amish song service with no instruments.
With so many, and being on a retirement income, one of the grandchildren accurately said, “Grandma won’t give me anything.” That’s true because I see how quickly money burns a hole in that person’s pocket. I have also observed spendthrifts earn the label of frugal.
I tend to be frugal with my words. Maybe I am silent because I see the wisdom of my grandmother’s rule, “I don’t talk about religion or politics.” Neither do I, not with family who embrace everything from conservative to liberal, viewpoints between and a few with a touch of conspiracy theories. No one is changing anyone’s mind, so let’s move along to discussing the weather and stories of a child’s first soccer game. After the ball went by him he defended himself saying “I told them to kick it.”
Sometimes we meet at the ballpark because “our house is a mess.” Sometimes we meet in their homes and shove aside the toys. Getting together we watch folks park vans, SUVs, minivans, hybrids, trucks, junkers or arrive at the door in their sneakers.
We don’t care. We just want to visit a while before we go home to increase our prayer for each. No matter what their personal beliefs, we know that God watches over them all and loves each the same.