Sunday, July 6, 2008

Hawaii nice, but true gift time with family

January 20, 2008


My mother-in-law turned 80 last April and called everyone in our family to state her birthday gift: a trip to Hawaii that she was giving herself.


She added that she was taking all of us with her, on a seven-day cruise of the Hawaiian islands. On Dec. 21, 17 of us boarded the Pride of America to embark on the trip of a lifetime.


My mother-in-law, her four children, their four spouses, five of the children's children, one spouse of one child, and two of the children's children's children went on the trip. What a spectrum of family!


Ages 7 to 80 were represented in the four generations, and a variety of customs, likes, dislikes, and conversations were added in the mix. It was a rainbow of the usual joy, calamity, fun and exhaustion of family gatherings.


We all participated in the nightly family dinners in one of the ship's many dining rooms. There we gathered to share our daily Hawaiian adventures. Some family members went on a catamaran to snorkel, others rode all-terrain vehicles in a muddy rain forest. Some went touring volcanoes and craters or swimming with dolphins, while others stayed on the boat relaxing by the pool, ordering piƱa coladas.


I learned about my 20-year old nephew's college/job aspirations and was wowed by his intelligence. Meeting another nephew's new wife, talking about the house the newlyweds recently bought, and hearing about their plans for making it environmentally sound made a long car ride interesting.


Walking around the deck with my sister-in-law, talking about our daily lives now that our children are older, reminded me why I am blessed to have entered this family.


Best of all were the days when my husband, my mother-in-law, and whoever else wanted a spot in our rental car, toured the coastal land of Hawaii's beautiful islands, stopping for a piece of pineapple or a cup of kona. We chatted about our lives and admired the scenery, enjoying one another's company.


I'm grateful that my mother-in-law gave us all a large piece of her birthday cake.


It is so rare for families to come together at all -- much less for an extended period of time. Without the meals, rides and talks, I wouldn't have any of the details of my extended family's life.


I thank my mother-in-law for sharing the spectrum of all of us and recommend that other families find ways to spend time with their extended families.



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