Family Ties

Family is everything. The Huddleston family reunion will be this weekend at my house. There have been up to 300 people at our reunions. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of trouble, and it’s some expense. Why would anyone want to attempt this?

When I was a kid, we went to Pocahontas Huddleston reunion every year to see my dad’s brothers and sisters and families. Eventually all the old folks died and there was no more reunion. We lost contact with all those Arkansas relatives. Thankfully, I have reconnected with some of them through Facebook.

When I was younger, having so many family members was sometimes annoying. There was always so many kids around. You gave up your bed for the adults and slept on the floor. I always said I wouldn’t have kids. (We have five kids between us and 18 grandkids).

A few years back I found out what family really was. In 2009, I was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor. I was terrified but my brothers and sisters were more scared than I was. After the first CT scan I came out and the waiting room was full of Huddlestons. When I had brain surgery all nine siblings were there.

During my recovery my sisters were there for me. Marylin is a nurse so anytime I was panicking I’d call her. She would calm me down and tell me what I needed to do. Juanita came every day for over a month to sit with me, sometimes just to watch me sleep. I finally made her get back to her life. Wanda noticed my depression and pulled me out of it, including dragging me on a trip to Kansas City. That trip may have saved my life. I could not have made it through the whole ordeal without my family.

I’m the 63 year old baby sister that my siblings still baby. They are my protectors, my cheerleaders, my forever friends.

I want my kids and grandkids to know their cousins and second cousins, and their aunts and uncles. So yes, I’ll keep having the family reunion at my house. I’ll keep cooking tons of food, getting the house ready, finding places for people to sleep.

And I’ll do it until I can’t anymore. These are my people. These are my tribe.