On Friday morning, I received a notice about our annual Carnes Family Reunion in Franklin, NC to be held on Saturday. I had forgotten completely, but made some hasty plans, threw half our wardrobes into suitcases, figuring proper attire could be fleshed out later, and headed for the hills.
We spent Friday night in Greenville at my parents, then followed them up Saturday morning for the gathering. This was my first time making the trek behind the wheel. I've always been a passenger all the years before. It was like a rite of passage for me, though they tell me next year is the real bat mitzvah. There is a more mountainous route- notorious for its hairpin turns and steep cliffs- The Highlands- which really puts one to the test. I can hardly wait.
Time with family was wonderful- more wonderful than ever, really. This weekend was one of those rare times when I wished I was older. I wished I had the benefit of attending more of the past reunions, hearing all the stories I am just now discovering, and really just knowing all about these beautiful people I call my own.
I've been postponing putting the photos up, because as with most things that are emotionally involved for me, I feel as if I have a mountain of words and don't know how to scale them. Now that I've begun to try, I realize that I will have to break the journey up into smaller steps over time.
All that matters now is sharing the photos I was able to snap with those of you who visit here or get email from me.
Talking about how I wanted to stay forever and ever, wishing we all lived in a Kennedy-like compound together, and words like bittersweet belong on another post, in another blog (ie; Faltering Life).
Until then...
I just love my family.