"Time Together"

After the lecture and discussion in class about strong families, I realized reflection is a key component in any family. I wondered though, how many families stop and reflect? Then I realized that most of the time spent reflecting is when a family member passes away. I know that the lecture was about immediate families so I guess I'm looking through my mom's perspective when she was raised. My mom is one of 4 siblings, she is in the middle of them somewhere, and was raised by both of her parents. My grandpa passed when I was really young, so my only memories of him were jumping over him while he layed on the floor after a big meal. Growing up my mom never talked about her side of the family much and when we would have to go to Exeter to visit my grandma and uncles for holidays, it was always a drag. My grandma passed away last week, and it really made me stop and reflect. I thought about all those times I didn't want to go see her and all the times I complained, never to her face, but to my mom. I guess regret is the key word I'm looking for. Anyway, my mom's side is very reserved, conservative, small-town, and quiet. For example, my uncle Frank lives on the farm he was born on and has never been married, just lives by himself in the middle of the country. I think what I'm getting at is that my mom's side of the family never spend quality "time together" as we discussed in class. I found out a couple years ago that my grandpa went to the only bar in town every night, while my grandma never drank a drop in her life. My grandma played the piano in church every Sunday for 65 years, while my grandpa only went to church on holidays. Later on I found out my grandma married my grandpa when she was 28 years old. Back then that was really old to get married. It almost seems like my grandpa was last resort and so they got married. I don't think growing up, my mom every had that quality time together with her parents. Everyone kept mostly to themselves, just as they do now.