Meddin Family Reunion August 14th, 2010
Wow, it’s amazing how things can seem to pile up on you before you know it. The last few months I have been working with my sister and several cousins on a family reunion that occurred the weekend of Aug. 14th. It was a lot of work, a lot of stress, but it was AMAZING! When my mother, who gets a little confused, kept asking me why everyone was coming in that weekend, “did someone die?” I answered, “No, it is because no one died that we are doing this!” Families tend to get together at weddings, when you have two different families trying to merge and a nervous bride somewhat in charge, or at religious milestones, when again you have two different families involved and a very nervous child or teenager, or at funerals, where the guest of honor isn’t around to enjoy the gathering. So, plan a family reunion before the next funeral, you won’t regret it!
At ours, I saw cousins I used to hang with, but hadn’t seen or really been in touch with, for almost 40 years! I met a new generation of family members, and better yet, they were able to meet each other! I met members of the family from distant branches who I didn’t even know about growing up. Timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The majority of the younger family members were in their 20s and early 30s, so they appreciated this gathering more than they might have at a younger age. Technology was available where presentations, pictures and old movies could be arranged and flashed onto a large screen in a way for everyone to enjoy, and it was held in the old home town so favorite places could be visited and food enjoyed! But most of all, the guests of honor, the last few of the older members, (my mother, uncle and great aunt) were there to share wonderful old stories and enjoy the festivities. As I said, we had it BECAUSE no one died!
Now that it’s over I thought I’d have some time to relax and not feel so busy. WRONG. Besides trying to catch up on paper and house work too long ignored, my days have been filled with upset kitty cats who tend to pee in inappropriate spots, poisonous snakes in my back yard and the sound of a jack hammer demolishing part of my driveway in an attempt to waterproof part of a basement wall. Normally independent pets have become glued to my ankles and, because of that, bathroom time is no longer a solitary event…..
Oh, and as things seem to happen, a spot on my eye that my eye doctor had been unconcerned about for a few years, saying it was just a cyst, is now of concern and needs to be removed and biopsied. I’ve learned to handle having a metal and rubber port under my skin accessed for my infusion and a two inch needle inserted into my nicely padded read end every month, I’ve gotten used to drinking nasty stuff for my scans every 4 months, and I survived a bone biopsy of my rib a year ago, but now to have something actually cut off my eye, gees, what else will my body think of to entertain me? Unfortunately, one of the ways I cope with unpleasantness is to close my eyes shut and imagine I’m sitting in a beautiful meadow high up in the mountains on a calm and sunny day. This, unfortunately, will be a new and eye opening experience…..
I always try to learn something from my experiences. Though I’m not sure what eye surgery will teach me (I thought my mother taught me not to poke things in my eye….), the following is a list of random things that recently popped into my mind, in no particular order:
• You can catch more flies with the good sense of humor, then all the money in the world.
• From Molly the Owl (http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox): give all you can, and when things don’t work out, clean up and move on.
• Also, watching toddling owlets on the computer is way more fun to watch than most TV shows!
• A lick from a puppy gives a lot more pleasure than getting your licks in on your opposition.
• Chocolate covered strawberries give you a whole days serving of healthy fruit covered in a serving of comfort.
• Crying over spilled milk means more liquid to clean up.
• People you expect the least from generally give you the most.
• Some people don't have an ulterior motive when they do something nice for you.
• When you have cancer, things that people say about you (good or bad) have a lot less significance than it did before.
• It's not what others say to us that count, it's what we say to ourselves.
• You heal from the inside out, not the outside in.
• Waiting for a loved one who is having surgery is a lot harder than being the one having the surgery.
• Sometimes you have to be like Emily Lattella, just say “never mind” and smile.
• Sometimes when you love someone, it hurts.
• Respect other people, whatever their position in your life is, whatever their position in the world is, by doing so you’ll learn to respect yourself.
• Everybody has something of value to share.
• If you think you are above everyone else, you must be living in a very boring space!
• Insecure people are the ones acting overconfident and condescending.
• It’s really hard when love two people who don't like each other.
• Laughter is the best medicine.
• Those that are good sports in life are great people to be around!
• Sometimes when you put your foot in your mouth, all you can do is add some spices and swallow.
• Cancer teaches you what's important in life and what‘s just bull shit.
• Letting go of old baggage brings wonderful new things to your life.
• It's not always about me.
• It's usually better when you are trying to help someone to let them lead the way.
• People deal with things in their own way.
• People say things they don't mean, but not always on purpose.
• A casual comment can always be twisted to mean something insulting.
• When you do something expecting to get some kind of response from somebody else, their response is never as good as you might give to yourself!
• Also, if you do something for yourself and it doesn't quite work out, you don't get as disappointed as when you do it to impress someone else!
• From Meddin Studios: Sometimes when you name a business, you get a family
• People don't become more mature just because they get older.
• Smiles can make all the difference; I've learned that from people smiling at me!
• Sometimes you just run out of time.
• People that you are insecure about are the ones you want to show up or impress, but when you try to impress someone else, you never really can, and you're always disappointed.
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