I have these memories of my childhood. Great memories - Some of family vacations, some of sleepovers at girlfriends, some of amusement parks with my Dad, step-mom and brothers - great memories, but those memories are for another entry. The memory I want to share with you today elaborates on the reason for my reunion highlight.
I am the first of 13 grandchildren on my mom’s side of the family. Three of us were born between the years of 1970 and 1973 – the next grandchildren would not come along until the early 80’s. This created golden years for the three of us at the top. We had an aunt and 3 uncles who were still single - in other words excellent Christmas and birthday presents! And we had the grandparents, still young, and to ourselves!
My grandparents had the best summer rec place! Complete with ocean and river beaches, pool, speed boat, and golf cart – and they would take us grandkids there several times each summer. If I could keep myself from sunburn, I would completely wear myself out with early morning crabbing expeditions, followed by a dip in the pool or at the beach, afternoons waterskiing, and evenings speeding around the resort in grandad’s golf cart. Me, my brother Brian, and my cousin Aimee had some of the best days of our lives there.
We all love to tell the story about the day we actually sat out on the deck and said we were bored. Wow, was my grandmom mad! There was so much to do, and so much she had done to provide it, that its no wonder our grumbling really upset her – Of course now I realize how ungrateful we were behaving and how selfish. (Grandmom if you read this, and I’ve never actually said so, I am sorry and very thankful for those summers at Pot Nets 
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Well, my week at Ocean City with this part of my extended family was a real treat and blessing. You see, my grandad, now 87 years old, has cancer. He started his chemotherapy this week. Since the recent week in Ocean City, not a day has gone by that I don’t think about him. Grandad has this one sort of signature thing he does, when things are not going so well, he just chuckles and says, “Aw, shucks!” Everytime I think about it I smile.
So, Ocean City was one more great Grandmom and Grandad memory, and this is one I share with the next generation, one I share with my own children and that is something awesome. Not too many people have special memories of their great-grandparents, now mine do! I am looking forward to this year of opportunity to make a few more of those memories.
Please pray for my grandad and grandmom, as well as my mom, and my Aunts and Uncles over the next ten weeks of Chemo. Thanks!
