Family Reunion Provides Cherished Story Of Yesteryear

There are no pictures of the latest nugget from my past of which I found out about at this weekend’s reunion of my mom’s family.  However the memory of hearing my aunt tell me about it, and then imagining her words taking shape many decades ago at the time it happened, will be mine forever.  Readers of this blog know my affinity for ‘old time music’; after all early Saturday morning I posted here about Uncle Dave Macon.  So to hear that my grandmother, as a child at her family reunions, had relatives not only bring a dish to pass, but also a musical instrument to play with the others after eating, was just a perfect addition to the family history page.  Though there were many reasons to attend the reunion (and have a great time which we did), this one old memory in and of itself made the whole day worthwhile!

My grandmother, Annabelle, was born in 1905 in Arkansas, and as I have thought about this all last night have conjured up images akin to an old black and white movie of what it was like for her to sit at the feet of those who played and sang at a family reunion.  Relatives who had gathered  to talk and eat the homemade chicken and fresh baked pies had caught up on the latest news.  The afternoon would be midway over when someone would reach down and pull the guitar to his lap.  Soon a banjo was being strummed, and a fiddle player ran the bow against the strings.  If you close your eyes you can probably hear the  fiddle play the lead melody, and a banjo play the rhythmic accompaniment.  Often in the southern regions this was the standard style of ‘down-home’ playing.  Someone may have added the sounds of a washboard, and the kids surely combined their voices to the growing tempo that resulted in applause and laughter.  The rich traditions of folk music and storytelling through song at those family reunions make me wish for more than a mention of such an event as the only memento we now have to call ours.  But knowing only through words that this is where my family came from makes me feel closer to the music I have long loved.   While there are many memories we take away from each family reunion that is held every summer, this one is mighty special, and one to hold close.