A few years ago, we asked our children what they thought were some of the reasons we are very close as a family. One of the answers that they had in common was “Family”
When I was growing up, Sundays had a usual flow to them. My mother would put a chicken in the oven or pot with potatoes just before we all left for a drive. We would return home to a delicious aroma, have our main meal and then sometimes go “visiting” at the home of relatives. We always remained in our Sunday best, which I remember well because I detested the white tights which squeezed my legs and always seemed to creep down, requiring constant discreet readjustment.
My brothers and I have many funny memories of those visiting days – tasting Uncle Floyd’s In-laws awful homemade wine and managing to sip just enough to be polite, only to have them delightedly refill our glasses! We laughed at the time my aunt dumped her glass in the plant when she went into the kitchen to get us a snack! Visiting cousins or receiving a visit from Lorentzs, Youngs & Mayses (good friends who were like family) our own age was always a treat, for then we could run and play.
We never questioned why we were visiting, for at the time this seemed to be most people’s routine. Sunday was set aside for family.
When Carl and I were married and beginning our own family, we decided that we would continue the tradition we had both experienced of keeping Sunday as a day for feeling the Lord's Blessing, rest and family activities.
With the four of us, our Sunday activities had to be budget-conscious, and sometimes involved a monthly get together with sister, brothers and parents to celebrate those who had birthdays, so our kids had the “visiting” component.
On other Sundays, it became a great joy and anticipation for all of us to plan what we wanted to do together. One of our favorite places to visit was hotels, zoos, nature centers, science centers, or museums. We would bring a bag of bread and find the path back to the ducks or geese. The children loved to feed them. I remember our daughter came home with a visit with Grandpa and Evelyn and excited to tell us about the goose running after her and biting her butt!
Other summer Sundays might find us hiking through the woods, visiting local historic sites, feeling the mist our faces from a water fall, climbing giant boulders at MO Elephant Rocks, State Park, attending a county fair or other festivals, and enjoying many glorious opportunities to explore the great outdoors. Once we found a “natural swing” formed by vines growing between two trees. This made for a delightful ride!
Winter outings in MO were more challenging to plan, but would sometimes find us bowling or pretending we were in a tropical paradise at a heated pool.
Sundays gradually became our oasis from the rest of the week. No matter how crazy things had been, no matter the challenges of the week, we headed out together on Sundays, and we were refreshed and restored. I often stepped back from what we were doing on our family outings and simply watched the children at play. I remember many times thinking to myself how truly blessed I was by what I was seeing – people whose souls were so dear to me and who were such a part of my life’s journey. At those times, I experienced the fullness of motherhood, and any of life’s problems or concerns that may have troubled me paled in comparison to the joy I felt.
These were times that Carl and I were able to savor the gift of family, and delight in all that God was giving us through our children.
We usually paired some type of treat with our outings, and Carl and I would chuckle at how the children sometimes forgot where we had been on any given Sunday, but reminding them of what they ate could often trigger their memory.
Carl and I were deeply grateful to our own parents for teaching us this tradition of Family Sundays. Although I no longer have any relatives who make wine, I’m sure our children have their own funny memories from their days.
The time with the kids & grandkids has been grand...
And since Sunday is the Lord’s day, I think it would please Him to know what we did to worship him and what he gave us. All those memories we have created from carving out this time together.
He indeed blessed us.
Nana
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