Word Of The Day

The Family began doing Word of the Day a year or so ago when one of the nieces just sent out an email giving us a 'word of the day', which we called "wod", and seeing who could come up with the definition first. What a rowdy bunch we are. It got fierce, it was competitive it was unfair! And still we kept it up for about a year. We do not let go easily. Not of games, not of beliefs and not of preaching to each other, over and over and over as Mate likes to say. It takes us a while to get the point. The California family was completely out of the loop, two hours time difference. Niece in Arizona actually sent the word, and who ever knows what time it is there. Then there was the teacher in Oklahoma who left for work early and complained of the unfairness of it all. Luckily for all of us, except California, Arizona got up early. I will always believe that Ohio niece sat right on the computer ready to pounce and it became quite a contest with her mother in law (my sister) and that niece and then the niece just down the road. We got down to comparing the time set on our computers. Anything to gain an edge. Can you imagine how it would be if we had a large family? Glory Be! Mate discovered the "wod" website. He, who does not come to the computer early in the day, joined in. (Mate is nothing if not a fierce competitor). He downloaded the "wod" and waited on the computer in the morning.

We are simple folk. It doesn't take much to make us happy. We actually started another generation onto "wod". Great niece who then complained because she had an early college class and missed two days a week of "wod". Finally it got so competitive that Arizona just stopped.

Now thats not the actual reason. Facebook came into our lives. Not all the family indulges and therefore, it appears that it has broadened our horizons individually, but it has taken a toll on our Family togetherness.

We still email. Its Saturday morning as I write this. One of my favorite days of the week. Not because I have a day off, but because it is the day that we get the weekly news from the Oklahoma Niece. I look forward to it all week. I love the lives of my Family. It may be just what they had for dinner, or something a child said in school. We went through the building of a house in Oklahoma. We have gone through I don't know how many remodels in Arizona, we have taken college exams with Tennessee. We have learned about the Methodist from the Niece down the road (not an easy task for the rest of the Church of Christ family) . And most importantly, we wept and prayed when Ohio nephew was in the middle East. We have rejoiced that Ohio family is back, living in the country and planting crops and raising chickens. Its not the "content" of the email, its the "comfort" in knowing that I am a part of the DNA of this weird bunch of connected people. Even the DNA of those who joined by marriage lives on in offsprings.

I love my friends. Would not want my life without them. But Family is..... well you understand. Facebook is nice, but personally, I would rather have "wod" back.