HERE’S TO ALL Y’ALL!

HERE’S TO ALL Y’ALL!
Another One of Those Lewis Kids

I am referring to our huge family of siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. A lot of large families lose touch. In our case there were eleven of us (siblings), and we have we have kept our noses in each others' business from the beginning and have never lost touch with each other. My sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law are also my brothers and sisters in life; as are our dear friends who have braved the family yackathons. That increases our number greatly.

We’ve kept in touch with our extended Texas family, and most recently, have had a wonderful reunion with our cousins from various points in the northern hemisphere. What- a- bash!!!! We talked, exchanged stories and pictures and we all vowed to keep our noses in their business as well. This adds quite a few to the kaleidoscope, and makes life all that much more fun and interesting.

When you’re from a large family, or even when there are only a few of you, it doesn’t matter how close you are to any of them or all of them. For reasons of survival, we (my siblings and I) were all groomed to vie for our parents’ attention and later, that extended to other family members, and family friends. You just can’t get enough said in a single visit, especially if there are more than two of you.

It’s particularly hard to make yourself heard when we are all vying for the floor at the same time. It’s not because we’re all rude, or that we think that what the other person has to say is not important. We’re all interrupting because we think we have something important to say, and that if we don’t say it, and say it now, we’ll forget, and we won’t be heard at all. Well, just how tragic would that be? Once, while trying to make myself heard, I just got frustrated and just quit trying. I actually shut up, and I swear I heard one of my siblings say, “It’s ok, honey. I heard you.” And then I wondered (of course to myself), Hey!….maybe it wasn’t one of my siblings….Maybe it was God !

You’ve just got to jump right in there with both feet, preferably not in your mouth; because as sure as you stick your feet in your mouth, someone will decide to shut up and listen, and you’ll never hear the end of that. None of us has ever had a lack of something to say, nor have any of us been struck speechless. That includes cousins and close friends. We do hold each other accountable, and if you’re a cousin, inlaw or close friend, you’ve probably learned that you’d better get in there with your words and defend yourself.

I have learned that if I just shut up, within a few minutes, everyone else does too. A very brief moment of silence ensues. However, the only comment that follows that moment of silence is usually, “Are you alright?” or, “What’s the matter?”, and rarely, “I’m sorry. I interrupted you….but…..” Aaaaaand further, I am aware that if I open my mouth to make an utterance in answer to their question, they all start talking again. It just goes with the territory of being One of Those Lewis Kids. And I do it too! No doubt about it. Please don’t think I’m complaining at all. This is just one of those challenges we are all issued at birth.

We take care of each other, and it shouldn’t go without saying that when one of us is in trouble we jump in there to help, armed with advice to help (solicited or not). We literally care each other back on our feet. This is the way it’s always been, and over the years I’ve observed that together we can accomplish anything. I find my siblings and cousins more and more loving and giving every year. Seems we pay more attention to each other. I’m very proud of each and every one; watching us all grow and becoming the people we were destined to become …..all good people; some having a harder time than others coming into their/our own. We are all just being just who we are.

Over the years, we have lost people we’ve loved, and we came together to honor them. I’m sure that I’m not alone among my family and friends in wishing that I’d just had 30 minutes or an hour alone with those people before they were gone. For this reason, we should keep in touch…keep our noses in each others’ business as long as we live. I intend to, and I fully expect that my family will do the same for me.