Everything's relative

Christmas has a way of turning our hearts back to the homes of our childhood. Parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins — they're gathered still, in our memories, around the table for Sunday dinners and summer picnics. We can almost hear the laughter, the stories, the songs, even the squabbling.

Many such reveries end where they began, in nostalgia. But some spark a plan to get the family together — to have a reunion. It's no small effort, say those who organize such events, and now is none too soon to consider a summer date. Perhaps a note on Christmas cards could be the start.

And what would a reunion bring? A chance to catch up, certainly, but much more. Two families who talked with The Lutheran about their get-togethers say reu nions can be a time to rediscover roots, to retell old stories and to make new connections among the generations. Reunions can help today's families grow in strength and in faith.