My first official family reunion was a bit overwhelming. Actually, it was amazing to see the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren (yes, FOUR generations) of my great grandparents, Juan and Petra, gathered for an afternoon together. Of course it wasn't all 878 offspring (plus those who married in) in the S------r/B------z clan. Instead, it was just a few hundred.

It's no joke, Mexicans do have huge families. My grandmother, Mama Toni, has 8 siblings. Actually, she had 16, but 7 passed away as infants or as toddlers. The youngest who passed away, Paulita, died on the same day Petra (great grandmother) died. That was August 31, 1938. Coincidentally, that's my birthday.

Mama Toni was the only child of Juan y Petra present today. Of the 9 who survived to adulthood and had families, there are only 3 who survived. My grandma is one of the middle children, and her two youngest brothers still are alive. However, neither attended because one was hospitalized and the other went to support his brother.

I didn't recognize 75% of the people at the picnic, but it didn't matter. As I looked at the giant chart and old family photos displayed at a table, I met second cousins in different colored t-shirts.

My Tio Chuy (mom's brother) organized the reunion with the help of representatives from each of the 9 families. It was cool to see each family in different colored t-shirts. Anyone who saw me in my burgundy t-shirt automatically knew I was probably a granddaughter of Antonia (Mama Toni).

It amazes me to see how much a family can grow, and how quickly. Petra and Juan gave birth to their first child (to survive to adulthood) in 1913. That's 101 years, and 878 people.

Wow.

Me siento: amazed
Escuchando: traffic

M�s reciente:
Searches - 09.16.05
the big move - 07.29.05
mother and daughter: a comparative analysis - 07.28.05
jardineros y dom�sticas - 07.27.05
tough question - 07.25.05

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