Our Duckless Dynastic Lineage

There is really nothing quite like the chaos of a family gathering. Noisy children with grubby hands full of sweets swiped from under the noses of their elders. Elders admiring the energy and slyness of the youngsters. Teens seeking their own amidst the throng.

In our fiefdom on Monday night, we had all these elements, in addition to a pool full of children, a trampoline bouncing with tweens, and at least one very bored young man on the phone by himself upstairs. There were adults in the kitchen, adults on the patio, and a very brave couple with the riotous mass in the pool.

And there was food. We had declared the menu Mexican, and each was to contribute. Every surface of our kitchen was covered with homemade versions of your favorite South-of-the-border fare. Leftovers? Zero.

We are blessed with a remarkable family. A very fertile, remarkable family. Indeed, even those who have not procreated to alarming effect have managed to adopt strays, who are then hastily swallowed into our number.

Monday's occasion was the joyous visit of one of my mother's first cousins from Independence, California. He is a formidable bearded man who rides a Harley, cultivates impressive facial hair, and possesses a heart of purest solid gold. He brought his beautiful wife, their grandchildren, his step-father, and a niece. These, then, are my Second cousin, Great Uncle, and, umm,  more distant cousins. Right?
The lines blur.

In joking with my children in an attempt to define the various relationships, we were trying to figure out which cousins were distant enough to actually marry one another. That is way too weird to consider, frankly, even if it is a fascinating line of consideration.

I'd like to perpetuate this legacy. The family ties within the generations that I have grown up with are incredibly strong. My Great grandparents set the stage for that, and the succeeding generations have faithfully carried the baton. The challenge, then, is to build within my own progeny a determination to remain connected.

It's a goal that I think is very worth fighting for. I'd love for my grandchildren to have so many Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins that they aren't quite certain of the exact relation... but they're dead certain of the love that binds them together.