Staff Blog: The Wonder Times: 8.12.08 | Wondertime

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Staff Blog: The Wonder Times

Wondertime staffers share their experience with big issues of the day

August 12, 2008

Summer Reunions

Summer Fun

more in the wonder times:

The Tweekie Defense

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Every summer our family reunites for a week back on my mom's farm in New Hampshire. The event is largely an opportunity for the 6 sibs to get our families together, and to spend time with our mother.

But the best part is seeing anew each year how wired the cousins all are to be together. They mesh instantly, discovering for themselves all the things we used to do as kids — catching sunnies from the dock, picking blueberries, playing big games of Capture the Flag.

Sometimes our days include trips to favorite spots on the lake where our generation reminisces about shared moments, like the time we ran our boat up on the rocks on an ill-fated, foggy-morning lake crossing. Other times we might find a relic, like my father's homemade hydroplane, that helps tell a bit about a family member no longer with us -- (Dad died a year before my first child was born). The best part though is simply seeing our kids together.

This photo was taken on the night of our last dinner this year, under the old maple tree in front of the farmhouse. Look at Finn, my four-year-old on the left., working so hard at being a big kid. The picture alone makes the months of planning and coordinating travel schedules worth the hassle.

If you're headed to your own reunion, see Catherine Bateson's excellent tips for making it a time to teach your kids about their heritage.

— Sam Mead, Digital Manager

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