Labor Day Cook Out

When my Aunt Jane called and invited me down to her house for a Labor Day cookout, my first thought was "Why does she have to plan a cookout every time I get a weekday off?". I probably get about 3 weekdays off a year (excluding vacation), and she always invites the family to her house for a cookout on those 3 days. Damn her! OK, I realize that it's time to adjust my thinking a little bit. I forget what a blessing it is to live so near my family and be able to share holidays with them. My Aunt is in her late 70's, my Uncle is in his mid 80's (though you'd never guess their age by looking at them). The fact is that in all probability, they won't be around too many more years, so I need to learn to appreciate what I've got while I have it. While I complain about having to sacrafice a day off to spend time with my family, I also realize that 90% of my friends have no family members living within several hundred miles, so an impromptu cookout is out of the question. I've got it pretty good, and I need to remind myself of this fact more often.

Pictured are: Mom & Joel, Martha & Mary Catherine, Chuck (Mary C's partner) & Uncle Hub.