Will Bridges

I was talking to a friend the other day about the death of a central family member and how it tends to split apart families. My family lives all over the country in little pockets. So, that makes it difficult to get people together. But further everyone in my family is very opinionated and stubborn (including myself, even though I try not to be). So, when people in our family disagree they tend to just not talk to each other and hold a grudge. I’ve been slowly trying to reunite my family because I believe it’s what my grandmother and grandfather would want. They seemed to easily keep the family together from what I’ve heard. I never knew my grandfather even though I was named after him. He died three years before I was born. But, everyone says he kept the family glued together. I’ve always said that I’m not sure I’m up for the task, because it’s so difficult to get these people together. However, I know that if I don’t do it nobody will. Plus, there are others in the family who want the same thing so I have some help. I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve found it hard to get people together. But, I am going to make it my goal to step it up a notch after the new year. I want my son to know his family, where he came from, and have these people in his life.

That is solely on my mother’s side of the family. My father’s side of the family gets along well and they all live in relatively the same area in Northern Virginia. So, we get together at least once a year around the holidays. I have my mother’s last name, ‘Bridges’. So, when we named our son, Juhlyun we made his middle name ‘Ring’, which is my father’s last name. We appriciated how close my father’s side of the family was and wanted him to have a stronger connection to that.

You can’t really choose your family but they are your family. So, you have a responsibility to know who they are and accept them for who they are. Also, every child has a desire and need to better know who his/her family is. So, during this holiday season pick up the phone and just call a couple people in your family you haven’t talked to in a while. Make a date to hang out or send email. Your future and your children’s future depends on it.