Count Down to the Family Reunion

At this very moment thousands of people all over the United States are preparing for something so big, so exciting, and so detailed, that even months of planning can prove inadequate. You may say to yourself: "Nothing can take that long!!"

You undoubtedly know people who throw their tax papers together in less than an hour, just in time to mail it by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on April 15th. There are students who pull "all-nighters" in order to study for an exam. My personal favorite is packing up all of one's belongings the day prior to moving. I may have even done this once or twice myself!!

If there are individuals who can tackle all these challenges in a relatively short time, then, just what momentous occasion would take months to prepare for? And, yet this may not even be enough time. If you start hearing the theme music from "Jaws", you're not alone. You are probably planning for The Family Reunion.

Let's take a closer look at this whole process. Each activity has four parts. The first one is getting Ready...setting a goal and taking initial action. The second step is Evaluating...progress made thus far. The next phase is Actually...seeing what has later transpired and finally Learning.... to compromise and live with the outcome...at least for now. I call this whole procedure: Keeping it R.E.A.L.

Ready- Weight loss goal of 10-15 lbs in 2-3 months. Eat low-fat food and exercise.
Evaluate- First 2 weeks: Going well... following diet, riding bike and walking.
Actual- By the 3rd week: Potato chips, candy and chocolate are becoming a staple.
Learning- It is going to take more time to lose weight. Chocolate is not helping either.

How to compromise: Wear dark clothes. A pair of black shorts hides those excess pounds.

The next activity goes hand-in-hand with the first one.

Ready- Shopping for summer clothes to accentuate your upcoming, new svelte look.
Evaluate-First 2 weeks: Mostly window shopping...will try on clothes next week.
Actual - 3rd week: Clothes in smaller size still too tight! Must be an error on the labels.
Learning-Error theory proves erroneous. Buy clothes that make you look thinner.

How to compromise: Wear loose clothes. Nothing like a baggy tee shirt to go with your new, black shorts.

Ready- This year you want to buy a new digital camera for taking great pictures.
Evaluate-First 2 weeks: saving money towards purchase.
Actual -3rd week: Money is now going towards other purchases, mostly chocolate.
Learning-As with losing weight, don't wait too long to save money.

How to compromise: Buy a disposable camera or better yet, let people take pictures of you and the family with their camera. This will give you the chance to pose in your dark, baggy clothes...standing sideways, of course. Next year return the favor and take their picture.

Ready- Do something really interesting before the family reunion. You want to be able to regale them with your adventures of sky-diving or at least scuba-diving.
Evaluate-First 2 weeks check it out. Take the first step and learn all about it.
Actual -3rd week- Beginning to realize that these sports may not be for you. You idea of being adventurous is wading into the water without a lifeguard.
Learning-Don't be discouraged. It was pretty adventurous just to think about it!!

Compromise-There's something interesting about everybody, including you. You may be a trivia genius and know all the capitals of the states. You can always work that into a conversation.

The next activity supports the previous activity.

Ready- Be witty. This is a great way to add depth to your already interesting stories. Read humorous books, learn from the comedians...resort to puns if needed.
Evaluate-The crash course in humor seems to be helping. Your cat seems to be listening to you more.
Actual-Beginning to realize that you need more than a crash course. Your dog seems to be avoiding you now.
Learning- Don't be discouraged. It's pretty comical to think that you are bouncing your comedy routine off of your cat and dog.

Compromise-Laugh at other people's jokes when you're at the reunion. They will feel obligated to laugh at your jokes.

As you can see, the preparation for a family reunion is a long, ongoing process. What's even more interesting is that there are others doing the same thing as you. They may not be trying to lose weight, buy new clothes and a camera, while simultaneously picking up a thrilling, new hobby. They may not even be trying to learn new jokes. However, being human, they want others to find them interesting and listen to their stories.

That's really quite easy, when you stop to think about it. Each of us has a lifetime of adventures and stories to relate. The great thing about family reunions is that your relatives love you and don't mind hearing the same story two or even three times.

Close-knit families accept each other. They like the way you are right now. So instead of spending this entire time getting ready for the reunion, take a minute to be thankful for family and look forward to another fun family reunion.