Never let a hug get away

I happen to love family reunions. My dad was one of eight children, and so I had lots of cousins. There were 21 of us. 

Growing up, I never lived close to my aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents, but we visited often, and it was always such fun to get together with my cousins. We traveled there by car, and as we got near my grandmother’s house, Daddy would say, “Get ready for the huggin’ and kissin’.”

It was just part of the greeting. Before we could start playing with cousins, we’d have to get a big hug, and a sloppy kiss from every aunt and uncle who was there. Most of them lived within 25 miles, so there were always lots of folks there, lots of hugs.