These Are My People

These are my people

This is where I come from
We're givin' this life everything we've got and then some
It ain't always pretty
But it's real
That's the way we were made
Wouldn't have it any other way
These are my people

-From These Are My People by Rodney Atkins



Like everyone else, I come from a long line of interesting people. Some I know; some I don't. I wish I knew more of that line, but I am grateful for those relative relationships I do have.

This past Easter week-end, we invested a lot of travel hours to see some of my people. What I appreciate most is that Checkered and my kids were as excited as I was to head toward Pennsylvania (BTW, is there any more beautiful place than Lancaster County?)

Here are three pix of the many that made up our quick family reunion.

Three Cautions In a Row:

In this picture, you see three generations of Cautions. I am not certain whether or not I was intentionally named after my aunt, but I do know that I intentionally gave my daughter "our" name. My aunt has always been someone I've loved dearly, and now she is newly widowed so this visit was particularly poignant. Despite my tired and not working new 'do, my aunt was actually very happy to be with me
Relative Friend:

A short drive later, and we were with more relatives. I have only one first cousin on this side of the family, so I'm relieved to say we like each other. The author, Marion Winik, says that relative friends are quite special because although you are bonded by genes and common history, you actually enjoy each other's company. Here's my relative friend, Cousin Equestrian, with her grandson.


Hero Relatives:

My boys are great video game players. This year, through games and the novel, The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, they have discovered World War II, so a bonus on this visit was talking to my uncle who was a Seabee in WWII. They thought their uncle was even better than the video games and book! Here they are going through the long list of questions they brought along to ask him. (Like my Picnik photo editing effects???)


So that's where I've been: just taking a whirlwind tour of some of my people. Thanks for touring with me.