Sunday Meditation: Cherish Family and Go Camping!

Huge family party to celebrate the 55th wedding anniversary of Shirley (Larry’s cousin) and
Charlie, What a joyful reunion with so many relatives and friends. 

If you want a big dose of hope in the future, go camping. I’m not talking about snowbird camping which is fun, but usually will find you camping with a lot of lovable seniors, but few children. I’m talking about family camping like we found this weekend on a Halloween-themed event complete with trick-or-treaters visiting the campsites by the score. We gave out about 200 pieces of candy and enjoyed all the little ones from babies in strollers to teens carrying a “Trump in 2024 sign” and another reading “You know Trump Won!” There were dozens of children in the morning bike parade. 

Many campers (especially the seasonal) had large Halloween displays (lit at night) and you couldn’t hope to find more friendly or helpful folks. We met fellow square dancers and a mom whose daughter went to school with one of our nephew’s daughters. What a small world.

The gentleman camping next door was helpful when Larry had trouble backing in. (We haven’t camped in two years, so he’s out of practice.) He was elderly but as spry as could be. He told us he’s been camping since the ‘70s and has been everywhere. Each morning he set up American flags along the edge of his site. What an inspiration to see his patriotic fervor. The entire campground was full of it. No one apologized or took a knee to condemn our beloved country which has blessed us all with freedom!

Many of the seasonal campers obviously have a community spirit joining around the campfire or gathering for a meal or games. What a fun family weekend! We saw lots of kids on bikes, hover boards, and scooters — not a screen in sight! 

Add to all this the reason we were visiting — to attend a 55th wedding anniversary of one of Larry’s cousins — and it was a complete weekend celebration of marriage (not the perverted imitation), motherhood, country, and apple pie. (Apple fritters were one of the party favors at the anniversary extravaganza which ended with a gymnast display and fireworks.)

Sunday is a great day for celebrating family. If yours live nearby, you are blessed. Be sure to take advantage of it. If they don’t, Sunday is a great day to write a letter or FaceTime with far away family members. And, of course, the best day to pray with all your family members’ guardian angels is the Lord’s day. Don’t let all that heavenly power go to waste.

May you have a truly blessed day!