No Reunion This Year

One of the annual highlights in my family is the big Ramsey Family Reunion. Well, technically, it’s my wife’s family, but we’ve been married for 27 years, so I’m OK with calling that crazt bunch “my” family now.

It’s a big to-do every Memorial Day Weekend. Well, it was “every” Memorial Day Weekend, until this year when, like many other things, the coronavirus pandemic led to it being postponed… likely cancelled altogether, since this whole “social distancing” and “shelter in place” thing doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.

Yes, every year, the whole crew gathers on “Clay Hill” in beautiful, scenic Haynes, Arkansas, for two days of food, fun, family and fellowship. If you’re not familiar with Haynes, it’s in between Forrest City and Marianna. If that doesn’t help you, there’s not much else I can do.

In the nearly three decades that I’ve been a part of the get-together, there has been a big crowd, with the total reaching over 100 a few times, but these days, the numbers were already dwindling even before COVID-19 put a stop to this year’s shindig. Last year, I think we had a little over 50, which isn’t too bad when you consider that many of the earlier generations have passed on over the course of the last several years, and many of the new generations have families of their own with their own things to do and other activities to consider.

So, no softball, volleyball, barbecue and banana pudding for me this year, but I hope it’s just a one-year bump in the road because some traditions are worth keeping and I plan on heading out to Clay Hill for years to come.