The period between May and the end of August provide a number of opportunities to reflect on family and the future. May brings Mother's Day, June brings Fathers Day, and for me and my wife, it brings a wedding anniversary. July brings the 4th of July and the opportunity for family to get together.
Mother's Day and Father's Day provide their own purpose for celebration. More importantly, they provide an opportunity to reflect on good mother and father role models. If you are a good mother or father, your children and grandchildren will say good things about you as they get older and in raising their own children.
As for the Wedding Anniversary, ours provided an opportunity to spend some personal time together, as we jumped into the Motorhome with plans to go to Monterey where we spent our Honeymoon 48 years ago. Just like then, we never got to Monterey, well at least we didn't get there the night of the wedding. The why we stopped before we got there would be providing TMI (too much information). Of course we were rested by the next day, and on to Monterey we drove. This time, instead, a couple of day trips were spent in Laguna and Santa Barbara for breakfast, lunch, dinner, shopping and reflecting on the past and future.
As for the other days, receiving visits and phone calls from the children and grandchildren on special days have grown more and more important. Often times, the calls from the grand children are interesting. One granddaughter wanted to know about my favorite colors, favorite food, and other favorite things. And since I put together the Miss Ruthie Book, the questions to my wife (Grammy) relate to how we met and how we courted and the one about whether Grammy had other Boyfriends before Grandpa. I never get that question and, if asked, probably wouldn't answer.
The Fourth of July has moved from my house to my middle son's house. There, they have a big swimming pool, basketball goal and an acre of land to share with the children, and of course, with us, his in-laws, and the expanding family. As for my three granddaughters, I love to watch them as they grow into young ladies and wonder if I need to clean my shotgun (a joke). As for my four grandsons, they are interested in the kind of car Grandpa is driving and the latest in videogames.
Hallelujah! I don't have to listen to Rap music during these holiday events as I guess everybody knows by now I think that it's basically the Devil's music, even though some preachers are now trying to tell you that it is the music of the children. I ask, "Which children?" Certainly, not mine. I am reminded that Christians are supposed to be in the world but not of the world. In the end, that music was created for and by gangsters. So I say, "No thank you," and wonder what happened to the old school message of the song that says, "Yield not to temptation", for yielding is sin.
But I digress; I hope you enjoy your summer. Don't forget that your children are watching you. Remember, "What they see is what they'll be." Hopefully, they reflect nothing but bright summers and year round futures.
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