Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective
Instead of a quiet celebration on Independence Day, we opted for family time which is never quiet. My brother once referred to us as the loud bunch. Dave fired up the grill for hamburgers and hotdogs, we had an assortment of sides, and HEB provided dessert. It was a great time to catch up since our busy lives don’t often allow extended visits. After dinner, grandparents (two grandmas and one Papa) played a new card game with the boys. Skunk on the Campground is an outdoorsy twist on Old Maid. We played enough rounds for everyone to get left holding the skunk. Naturally, the game led to the story of our one and only family camping trip.
Years ago, our family experienced an unforgettable camping trip to Possum Kingdom. The tent leaked, the air mattresses deflated, and a skunk sneaked in because someone left the Oreos out. Our dog Willie caught the skunk’s scent. However, amid shouting and a flurry of activity, the skunk was scared off before anything worse happened. Then it poured rain when it came time to break down the campsite. Dave and our son were so saturated that they swore never to camp again.
Then, our two oldest granddaughters came for a sleepover. They arrived without shoes, so we did things that didn’t require them. I had a craft for them, which consisted of adding sparkly gems to water bottles. I enjoyed the process but wasn’t much help when it came to guessing their designs. I thought one bottle resembled the bodice of a dress, and the other looked like a flouncy skirt. Annabelle, with all the gravity of an eight-year-old, corrected me. “Mamaw, this is the Rainbow Tornado.” Then Ria chimed in and named hers the “Twirly Sunset.” But they loved their new water bottles.
Then we decorated cookies. I had purchased the kit at Easter time but forgot about it. The girls loved squeezing the little tubes of icing and mixing the colors with a knife. Best of all was adding the pastel goodies to each finished product. We all agreed that the cookies were fun to decorate but tasted terrible.
Once the evening cooled, the girls went for bike rides, then chased dogs and frogs. Popcorn and a movie followed, making a late night for all.
Our new puppy Lacey hopped in bed with them and licked their faces the next morning, but when she pooped on the floor, they hollered, “Gross!” My assurance that the floor was better than the bed didn’t help. She also ate a few sparkly gems from the water bottle craft.
Things improved when the girls met their boy cousins at Ethel Lee Tracy Park. The weather was breezy, and they played hard before the heat took over. Since their great-grandmother (Gigi) lives next door to the park, we made time for a short visit. Gigi’s great-grandchildren know where the kid drawer is, so the boys donned mustaches and funny glasses, and the girls wore princess tiaras. Sitting at her table, they ate Sun Chips and drank little Cokes—a big treat since they rarely do soda.
A bit later that morning, Dave and I drove the girls back to Gonzalez, where they happily showed Mom their new water bottles and talked about their adventures.
Connection matters. It’s how we share our values, work through problems, and nourish our souls. Our technological advancement makes some areas of life easier but can also foster isolation. Nothing will ever replace the dynamic of face-to-face encounters. We need each other’s presence. It was the beginning of family when God said, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) Whether it’s flesh and blood or simply the people who love you, we need to be intentional about connecting because family is God’s idea.