As we get older, we realize just how precious life is, and how short it can be. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives that we don’t take the time to let our family know how much we love them.

When my Mom and her sister married, they moved to different areas within the United States for various reasons; however, every year they met at the same time at their parents home during the summer in Mobile, AL. This not only gave everyone an opportunity to meet other family members, but also spend time with my first cousins. Over the years, we felt like we were raised together even though it was for a short time during the summer months. As we got older, the summer rendezvous stopped, and we grew apart with the exception of attending family reunions every two years. The reunions stopped, and our lives convened only during funerals. Then everything stopped when our ancestors were no more.

As the first cousins’ children got married, we started to come together again. Before we knew it, my Mom was 80 years old, and her sister was 83 years old! Time waits for no one!

So, here we are this year, celebrating 60th birthdays and 55th birthdays! Not all of us that grew up together made it this far. We lost a few in our generation along the way, but this month we celebrate.

We celebrate God and how far He has brought us.

We celebrate family and how just getting together takes us back to where we left off during our childhood with so many amazing memories!

Between The Dashes