As a child my parents took me to see my grandmother in Rochester on a regular basis which was about a 9 hour drive from our home. My mother was one of 9 children and most of them still lived near my grandmother. The gathering of my aunts (seven) at her house was a joyful experience and my heart holds these memories close.
All of my aunts were married and had children. Holidays were held at my grandmother’s house with all of the aunts, their husbands, and their children. These were joyful gatherings, laughing, lots of homemade Italian food and chianti, and joyful Christmases.
As I have aged, all of my aunts, their husbands, and my parents have passed away. I miss the people, the cousins especially as some of them are also deceased. I still look forward to the holidays and the easy joy. The most upsetting aspect is the family gatherings now. Instead of over 50 relatives, usually we only have about 7 at any one time. And, the food is repetitively plain. We always had an open dinner at our house on Friday nights when the kids were growing up and we lived all of their lives next door to my parents so the family joy was always there.
The place I go for joy is now mostly in my heart and these memories.
Life Gets Better 