Sunday, September 17, 2017

The sparkle was there and the fox was too...

What did the adventures of the weekend bring? It is hard to even know where to start. It was a weekend of family, fun, memories, laughter and tears. It was watching the seasons change and corn grow. There was a fox, a song, and a glimmer in more than one young girl's eyes. There was dancing - oh my goodness, was there dancing. And did I mention our ever growing family?

Over the years, as our family grew, we also grew literally apart. There are different cities and different states (there were different countries but not for now). My cousins, some of whom I still see as little kids, are grown and getting married, they have children of their own now. Never mind the fact that I have two boys in college. My cousins have grown into amazing men and women, even if we still are all kids inside - we come by it honestly, our parents are still kids too.

This weekend I was back in Bel Air, a small city that I called home for many years even if we didn't live there. Today, I walked down the John Carroll path next to what will always be my Grandma and Grandpa's house in my mind. It will always have green shag carpet in the family room and pink tile upstairs. Yup, it is why I want a shag carpet in my office. Bill was with me as we walked down the path, as I looked into the now fenced backyard and the memories came flooding back; I swear I heard my Uncle Gary telling me that I was going to be in trouble for planting a tree in Grandpa's garden. I saw Grandma at the table cleaning oranges, putting away what seemed like 100 dozen Christmas cookies and 365 chicken breasts. I heard Grandpa calling me from his big chair because Fraggle Rock was on HBO. I saw my Mom walking downstairs in rollers and Little Joy coming up the path in her uniform. I heard Uncle Tim & Uncle Scott on the front porch drinking beer and Alex curled up sleeping on the carpet as the family all walked around him. As we crossed into the JC property, I saw Brian teaching Alex to skate on the pond - a pond that now has a No Skating (or doing anything else) sign. I saw my daddy and brother running around. I told Bill about the cat tails that we used to pick and blow apart, and the nuns that would be walking around campus. I looked back at 508 and I shed a tear or two because of the fond memories, I laughed while they flowed remembering the amazing times that I hadn't thought about in so many years.

The walk down memory lane wasn't what the weekend was about though, the weekend was about my cousin Brian - who is still a kid in my mind - marrying the beautiful Jessica. The family came together at St. Mary's to celebrate their marriage before God, and then to party with them. I got to meet, and spend time with my cousin's kiddos - 4 daughters and 1 son between 2 of them! They - the little girls of course - played with my purse, as I am sure I did with my aunts' purses years ago. I introduced one of them to glitter lip gloss - I am sure her mom will thank me later - okay, maybe not thank but I am the oldest so I get to have some fun. They all learned that when Great Aunt Maria and Erin ask them to dance, the only answer is yes. The girl's eyes sparkled so much as they twirled around the dance floor I could see my Grandmother in them laughing. I taught one of them a line dance, I cannot wait to teach them all so many more. The lone boy talked basketball as I tried to convince him to go see Alex at Dayton; poor kid, only boy in a girl dominated family right now - he gets a medal for the weekend. Mom lifted the girls up on an old tractor and it became a chariot, Daddy took them to meet the horses and they became their friends. The cousins, myself included, all laughed as we remembered how my Mom, their Aunt Maria, used to do the same with us. Jessica, my newest cousin, looked like a princess and took our breath away as she twirled around the dance floor, and when her dad sang to her? Forget it, not a dry eye in the room. We knew Brian found his match, he lit up as she entered his sight - she is now our cousin and will never get away without sparkling and dancing. And while most of us had not seen each other in far too long, it was like we had never left. I even got my cousin Joey to dance - maybe I do have a lot of Mom in me. Oh, and the fox. As we walked down the hill to the barn I saw a red fox run across the field and knew that Big Joy was standing next to Grandma in heaven smiling down at all of us so proud that we were together as a family once again. No doubt Unkie and Grandpa were there looking down saying 'Those damned kids' and smiling too.

The rest of the weekend was spending time with family, in small groups over crab and large ones at the pub with crab. The cousins listened to old stories and we talked about getting together to make new ones. Lots of drinks were drank and plans were made then changed so we could all have one last breakfast together before heading our separate ways. Did I mention eating crab? Crab dip, crab cakes, crab pretzels and let's not forget Bill's first steamed crab experience. I may have gotten enough to last me a month, okay a week. Okay, a few days. I better get more Old Bay.

I hadn't blogged in a while, no reason why as life brings new reasons to everyday, I just hadn't. After this family weekend I was ready to write again. The love, new and old, the family, new and old (no I am not calling you old Mom), reminded me how very lucky I am to be a Reilly. How very lucky I am that I have a family that picks up where it left off, no matter how long it has been. How very lucky I am to have words to capture all the joy that started many years ago at a house we called home on Linwood Avenue.

Oh and I did I mention we all got to celebrate Mom's birthday together? No? Well that's because I forgot that too. Daughter of the year award, but I think she might forgive me as I willingly let her hold the newest cousin. Okay, maybe I tried to run away with the angel in my arms and Mom caught me but it's my story so whatever.

Here's to the Reilly family - whether by blood or by love, whether your name is Reilly or not - once you join our clan, there is no getting out and we are so glad you are here. Now, go fish in the pond and dance to the music because no sign, or lack of power, is going to stop us.