Starting next week I will be having my sister visit with me for a month. My younger brother will be coming during that time also. My siblings have dwindled from eight to four. It would be nice if my older brother could make it also for our mini reunion. We did that some years ago and it was a great visit. I am not sure if he feels up to the trip, time will tell.
In the meantime, my mind is trying to come up with some fun things we can do. Or we can have a lot of fun just visiting. My sister has learned a card game called "hand and foot" which she wants to teach to us. My brother and I want to introduce her to bridge. Years ago the game of "rook" was a family favorite. My parents had friends with whom they would play in the evenings. When enough of the family was present at one time a game of rook would invariably ensue. I did not join in the game as I was usually off at school or involved in other things.
On one Sunday afternoon when my older siblings were visiting from their respective homes, a game of rook began. After they were well into the game someone told my parents that the preacher was coming up the driveway. He was pretty straight laced and not wanting to embarrass him by being engaged in card playing, my parents declared the game over. It had taken my parents some time to give in to the pleas of their children and give their blessings to rook playing on Sunday. But to be caught playing themselves was not something they wanted be a part of.
Both of my parents were devout people, living by very high moral standards. It was their practice to tithe to their church. Using banks was practiced then but they would take the tenth from my father's salary and put it in a little tin tea box. The little box was kept in the back of the family radio in a space not taken up with the tubes which were a part of all radios back then. If someone outside of the family needed assistance they would go into the tithe box and take what was called for to help them out. So, the entire tithe did not go to the church treasury, rather it was dispensed as charity called for. Only recently I learned that in our church alms are now considered separate from tithing. This was a new idea to me and I feel sure it would have been for my parents also. In retrospect, for a couple with eight children, they were no doubt being quite generous while including alms in their tithe. I think they had a good system.
My brother and I were allowed to skate at the local skating rink without charge because my father had helped the owner to get much needed surgery in the past. There were other instances such as this but I cannot recall them. Living by example set the tone for us. Now all of us with children and grandchildren carry on the examples which our parents placed in motion. I can say in truth that we all have had children to be proud of and grandchildren also.
One of my earliest memories is of the Saturday night ritual. On Saturday evening my mother saw to it that we were all bathed and shampooed and ready for Sunday School and worship service the next day. My father would line up all of our shoes on a retaining wall at our back porch to polish and shine them in readiness for the special occasion.
Even though it meant crowding us into a T model ford to get us there on time we were all there sitting in "our" pew. At an early age I recall being in that pew with my head on my mother's lap. The familiar sweet, clean scent of ivory snow flakes, coming from my mothers dress, along with the preacher's voice, lulled me off to sleep.
When any of us are together for any length of time, we usually recall some of these activities. At times someone will remember more of the story than others and that account will be retold. Families have a special bond which is sacred to me. It is a very comfortable and happy feeling to be with family. I certainly look forward to this visit beginning next week.
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