Walnut Oatmeal Patties

Our modern world is one of little time to sit back and have leisurely family dinners on Sundays with lots of family around.
When I was a kid growing up, my grandparents lived with us.
My house on Sundays was packed with family. Uncles, Aunts, cousins would come over after church on Sundays to visit. Boxes of donuts and coffee were in abundance. The children all played together and the adults visited.
We were close in those days. Cousins were best friends. Uncles and Aunts just an extension of your own family.
As time went by, my grandparents passed away. Us kids grew up and married, my folks sold their house. Everyone got busy with their own lives and in no time things changed. No more getting together. The girl cousins didn't meet for "club" a time we all got together and visited.
I moved clear across country and felt a huge loss. No extended family was hard for me.
In time, this loss would set me to action. I set up a family email list, invited cousins, Aunts, dad and all the way up to 4th cousins. At first there were just a couple people on the list and we shared family history, day to day stuff, memories. It became a cyber living room of Sunday afternoon visiting, only daily.
We all reconnected, found something that was missing to us all. Family is something you can still count on. You can pray for each other, moan and groan, share happiness, share stories of your children's accomplishments and everyone shares in that pride. You can make mistakes and its o.k.. Family is a safe place, at least ours is.
You can be an individual, yet still feel a profound sense of belonging.
The pictures show some of my ancestors. Emma Sophia Lutes Heckbert as a young woman. Percy St Clair Heckbert and Emma on vacation in Cuba in 1925. And a picture of all the Heckbert cousins that share the middle name St Clair.
My mom is the baby in the group. Ties that bind. Make a family circle of your own. Reclaim that aspect of family that
makes you feel good, that sharing of your lives. Talk food, talk history, talk funny stories, talk about your life and loves.
It becomes a history book for the future generations. On our list we have 3 generations that actively share. What an amazing thing in this rushed busy world of ours. My children know all about their 4th cousins thousands of miles away.
A bit like the old days with a modern twist, email !