Mother's Day

We all went to Master's sister's for Mother's Day. It seems to be the family gathering spot for all holidays, regardless of who/what's being celebrated. The first stop was to Master's mother's house. We visited with her for a while as Master's brother got ready. She's in her late 60's, still working, with the silver-gray hair and smoothly aged face that any woman would kill to grow old into. Simply beautiful, by any standards. It's no wonder where Master got his good looks. He swears up & down that she's a saint, & shayla's never been one to need be told that. She can tell just by observing her. Her house is old, neat as the proverbial pin, and has that relaxed feeling of a home that shayla believes would put anyone at ease.

It's a short drive from there to Roger & Lolly's home. Though Roger married into the family, he's considered, and treated as, blood by everyone in the family. Every time shayla's been to visit, there's a continual level of controlled chaos. A very informal family, with nephews, nieces, & the dog all drifting from one area to another. Shortly after we arrived the card table was (as it always is) set up in the garage, Roger, Master, miranda & shayla settling down for a game of hearts. This is a routine feature of all gatherings there. There's always a game of hearts or dominoes going on in the garage, a group of people off to one side sitting by the work-benches, watching baseball/football/a NASCAR race, drinking beer & nibbling (either before or after the meal).

Catherine was seamlessly absorbed into the group of sons/nephews/nieces; playing catch with the dog and each other, riding around the property behind one of the boys on the 4-wheelers. They were driving while sitting backwards, among other things. All of them being careful with themselves, each other, and the 'toys' they were playing with. This is one thing that's always impressed shayla with the kids in Master's family. All of them, including Roger's son, Carl, handle the 4-wheelers and guns on the property with more respect, capability, and maturity than shayla's ever heard of or encountered, while still enjoying every bit of it.

Though Carl still acts like the 11-year old he is. We were hip-deep into a hearts game (Roger, as is the norm, was winning), when Carl commented to his father about needing some more bird-seed. 'The birds aren't coming around anymore, I haven't got anything to shoot!!' (shayla did mention that the nearest house is too far away to shoot, didn't she?) At which point he pulled two ziploc bags from one of the freezers in the garage, proudly showing miranda & shayla his work. A pidgeon in each one, intact, the feathers still on. They're to be disposed of when his back is turned, shayla understands. Boys. Makes shayla wish she had at least one brother when she was growing up.

Master will often sit at the bar in the kitchen for a while before leaving, talking to his sister while she picks up. There are always stragglers in the family that come in after everyone else has eaten, so Lolly's as much packing things for others to take home as she is putting things away. Often they'll compare notes on growing up, tease each other about things that took place. Though the caring they have for each other is evident, even in the depths of the teasing.

It's something that has stunned and humbled shayla every time she is with Master's family. So often, to so many people, family gatherings are the backdrop for bringing up old tensions, strife. Even the best-intentioned will occasionally get sucked into it. With Master's family, there's none of it. No undertones of tension, no power plays, no backbiting. For Master, it's just ordinary. But it's something to strive for. Shayla'd heard of families like this. But to see it is something totally different. It's an example to follow.

shayla