Rodney Atkins has a great song called “These Are My People.” Some of my favorite lines include:
“These are my people, this is where I come from
We’re giving this life everything we’ve got and then some
It ain’t always pretty, but it’s real
It’s the way we were made, wouldn’t have it any other way.
We fall down, and we get up
We walk around and we talk tough
We’ve got heart, and we’ve got nerve
Even if we are a bit disturbed…”
I’ve always loved the song because it reminds me of my lovely, loony family. I’ve been focused on my family a lot lately, especially since being home from college for the summer. Most of my extended family on my dad’s side is currently gathered in Florida to celebrate the high school graduation of my younger cousin (you did it, E!). She is the youngest of the twelve grandchildren on my dad’s side, and on my mom’s side we have nine grandchildren. The grandkids range in age from 16 to mid-30s. We now have seven great-grandchildren on my dad’s side and two on my mom’s, all of whom are ten and under. These are all descendants of my dad’s four siblings and my mom’s three.
While by some standards this may not seem like a big family, when dozens of my relatives are gathered in one place, my family always seems enormous to me. Throw in the fact that we all speak and laugh at much-higher-than-normal decibel levels, and the family forever seems much bigger than it really is. But the best part is, when a special occasion rolls around or it’s time for a Sunday family dinner, we all gather from across the country, noise and all.
No matter how long it’s been, we can pick up right where we left off, falling into the same habits and interactions that we always have. We eat chocolate chip cookies made from my grandmother’s famous recipe, and we gather around potato chips and dip (also made from my grandma’s recipe—best cook ever, ladies and gents) and eat from the bowls until there’s nothing but scraps left. We reminisce about old family memories and swap embarrassing stories, from both past and present. (I’ll never live down mistakenly “booing” a baseball player named “Lou” when I thought everyone was already “booing.” My cousins absolutely love bringing that one up…even though I was seven years old, guys!) We do weird things like try to remember every single dog any family member has ever owned, and we watch and debate more sporting events than any family should ever be allowed to. We blast music and share the corniest jokes.
There’s nothing like gathering around a table or a living room with your “tribe,” your “people.” These are the people that raised you, or were raised with you, and spending time with them gets sweeter as you get older and visits with everyone become fewer and further between. Cherish the memories you’re making with them, because at the end of the day, “your people” are the most important people in life.
