Family Get-Togethers

When Jeff and I got married, family get-togethers were relatively easy. Except for my dad, everyone lived within 35 minutes of each other in Southwestern Connecticut. My father lived in New Jersey, two-and-a-half hours away, so at least weekends were doable.

I thought Christmas could be an issue; Christmas Day was the only holiday when my family would be together. We soon worked out a schedule of Christmas Eve with Jeff's family and Christmas Day with mine. For a few years, Jeff's parents even joined my family for Christmas Day dinner.

After a few years, Jeff's sister, Thea, moved to Ithaca, New York and then Iowa City, Iowa. Later our parents moved south. My dad went to Stuart, Florida; my mother and stepfather headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina; Jeff's parents moved to St. Simon's Island, Georgia. That meant long distance visits, and after we got Spike, road trips. Visits became more expensive and required more planning.

We actually got into a good road routine and never pushed ourselves for too long. On our first road trip, we found a pet friendly motel that we liked--Red Roof Inn in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. I'll never forget our first night there. Spike was so excited to get out of the car that he jumped on my lap straining to get out the door.

We had celebrated Christmas with Jeff's family the night before we hit the road and we were beat. Luckily, a good Chinese restaurant was next door to Red Roof Inn and we had brought a bottle of red wine just in case North Carolina had Sunday blue laws. To top it off, we turned on TCM and watched the original version of "To Be or Not To Be."

In the past three years, we've lost my stepfather and my father. Jeff's parents and my mother have returned to Connecticut: Jeff's parents are an hour away and my mother a half hour. We can take comfort in knowing that we are close to our parents.  I remember how much I worried about my father when he lived alone in Florida.

Family get-togethers are a little more complicated now. Jeff's parents no longer drive.  We usually make a day of it when we visit since it's a two hour round trip. We may take them shopping or pick up things for them. My mother still drives, but I'm not sure how long that will continue. We're lucky that they live in nice retirement communities.

I try not to wonder what will be in store for us.