Family Day

As I sit down to type today's installment, I'm thinking, family? What do I have to say about family?

There are so many different people trying to tell us what consititues a family now. With the Dem. election today, I think about their PC version. I think about all the kind and loving children's books that nowadays tell our kids that families can be made of hippos and bunnies and birdies and turtles, as long as everyone loves each other. I think about the old-fashioned version of family that I grew up with, where there were both biological parents and usually two point something of their very own children.

I have come to the conclusion that the word, like so many others these days, has been sorely compromised. I have a college degree and a decent command of the English language (if I do say so myself!), and I can't give you a good definition anymore. I know that MY family consists of a mother, father, and our biological daughter. Our extended family includes grandmothers, uncles and aunts, cousins, great aunts and great uncles, and a variety of some kind of distant cousins that we either claim as relatives or ignore as strangers depending on how they act.

We live in a wonderful rural area where family probably has a different significance than it does in most other places. When we meet someone from around here that we don't already know (which happens less and less frequently after 8 years here), they ask after our people. "Are your people from out there where you live?". "No," I respond, "My people are from the other side of the state but my husband's people are from out around Stanleytown." Then they knowingly nod their heads. Everyone around here knows what kind of people come from Stanleytown. Mostly farmers, not too flashy or innovative, lots of German heritage... Now they know who I am.

And then we talk about where our house is located. You know, the old Goodlett place. Ah, yes, everyone knows the old Goodlett place. Thing is, the Goodletts haven't lived here for 50 years. But their family name still does. And even their reputation. Just about every old timer in these parts took music lessons from old man Goodlett during a WPA school program in the 1930's. They've all been to my house for music recitals and lessons. No one is surprised that I play fiddle and C. plays guitar. We live in the old Goodlett house. It just stands to reason.

So what is a family? I still don't know. But I do know that around here it is like a club that once you're in, you're always in. And that what one of us does affects the reputation of us all. For a long, long time. I can't bring myself to define it as a fuzzy, amorphous thing that can include unrelated people who each live their individual, separate lives. Label family however you want, but we are still part of those folks who came to Stanleytown back in 1812 and we live comfortably in the presence of their legacy. Just as we hope our descendants will live in ours.

Who are your people?
Lori