We were at "our" State Fair recently - which can cause interesting problems about crowds, distance to walk and (especially!) parking.  Parking is a whole "other" story for a different time.  Right now I'm thinking about crowds and how easy it is to "lose" someone.  It also caused some interesting discussions.

We started with the time my sister "lost" our mother - at the State Fair.  It was long before cell phones which causes even more headaches.  She "found" her outside the building both of them were wanting to be in - The Creative Arts building.  I "lost" Dad in the Science Museum in Chicago.  He had promised he would wait "right here" for me.  I finally found him heading to the gift store where "he knew I would go."   My sister, yesterday, "lost" her friend at the State Fair.  Now we have cell phones but my sister's phone was with her friend!  It took almost an hour to find each other again.

It is easy to "lose" someone - especially in a crowd.  Now we have cell phones that are usually with us and sometimes work!  Sometimes this helps.  Sometimes we still want to scream.  I have threatened to stand in the middle and yell - just like a little kid.  Thankfully.... with the memories.... we can laugh!

Do you get to take "family outings?"  They don't have to be "long" ones...maybe just to a local park or lake (I do live in MN!) for a few hours.  Maybe to a museum or some other "site" to visit.  We are blessed to have a wonderful Zoo close to us - less than an hour drive.  We can even work on the schedule enough to be there as they open!

A recent trip, this last Friday, reminded me of the visit several years (over 10) before.  The memories of grandsons (still shorter than me) interacting with what they were seeing, and their great-grandfather, all came back.  The fun Dad had, with the kids and riding the scooter, are wonderful memories to have.

This trip we didn't use a scooter (although I probably should have) but we did sit down frequently.  We also  "only" did the 'inside' part of the Zoo because of the heat and humidity.  Still it brought back memories we could laugh about....

Special holidays, even birthdays, seem like a good time for family to get together to celebrate.  The difficulty can be if family lives in different states making actually being together, in person, a little difficult.  Add in careers that mean working on various holidays, for one or several participants, makes actually being together even more difficult.

Celebrating one year of retirement, working on a sermon for using the gifts God has given, and celebrating a birthday/anniversary all brought back the memory of the first year I served in ministry.  We were celebrating Easter - my first one in ministry and my grandson's first Easter.  My son, daughter-in-law and my "new" grandson all decided to come celebrate with me.  The difficulty came because they live in Ohio and I live in Minnesota.  They got "here" on Good Friday, after the worship service, and left Monday morning.  I had SOME time with them on Sat, and time on Sunday after two services.  I looked at my son, Sunday afternoon, and said "DO NOT come see me on a religious holiday again."  At first he was upset but then he looked at me and went...."well duh!"

We celebrate Christmas, birthdays and Easter when we are able to be together!  Now, since I'm retired, we can be together - at least sometimes.  When are ya'll together?  What are your memories?  Sometimes it is good to laugh!