Tree at Walter & Annie Cook Memorial Park

 Late September is our time of year to travel to Todd, North Carolina for Mary’s family homecoming the first Saturday in October and for some relief from the oppressive heat of the valley.

Heron on the river

Her family has been holding the reunion on the same weekend since 1974 and every year 50 to over 100 family members show up around noon for food and fellowship.  We learn of all the births, deaths, marriages and other everyday things that make up our lives.  There is rarely and “Big” news, just the regular stuff that seems to get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind.  A new car, a move to a new place, painting the house and taking a vacation are the most common topics around the homeplace that same Saturday in October.  The older folks show up to remember and the children to learn about what and who were here before they were born. 

It is about a family sharing common ancestors and common experiences in a beautiful place that moves a bit slower than the rest of the world.