This weekend, I am making some family memories with my husband, my son, and my in-laws. A few years ago, my husband and I started joining my in-laws on their annual trip to the Common Ground Fair up in Maine. This will be our second time going with our son, and we are excited to take many pictures and record videos and notes of our experiences. Family vacations are one of my favorite ways to connect with both my parents and my in-laws and I am very lucky that we have been able to make a couple of trips pretty regular traditions.
Family trips are a great way to get to know family members more deeply and to spend some quality time together outside of our normal routine interactions in our day to day lives. No matter how simple or extravagant the vacation, the act of getting together with relatives and doing things together strengthens family relationships. The benefits of close family relationships extend far beyond the good times that are shared during family outings.
I am not sure of the exact details of what my parents or my in-laws used to do for vacations, but I do know that all of them have strong connections with their brothers and sisters. Whether those bonds developed partially during family vacations I can not be sure, but I do know that I want to enjoy the same types of close relationships with my sister and my brother and sister in law. These days, everyone seems so busy that it can be hard to find time for family activities whether they are weekend trips, week long vacations, gathering for lunch or dinner, or even just brief visits. Going on a trip this weekend with my family is really reinforcing the importance of building strong families for ourselves and for our children. I feel as though while I am connecting with present relatives I am strengthening the family unit that my ancestors worked to create. I’m having a great time so far this weekend, and my inner genealogist is satisfied that I am keeping family connections alive and well.