Siblings

Each year in December, my siblings and spouses have a reunion. We range in age from me, as the oldest at 79, to our youngest sister, who is 63 years old. Remarkably, all of us are still in fairly good health and able to travel to such things.

Ikuko & I are celebrating 54 years of marriage in January

Next sibling, Harry & his wife Terri (ill at home) have been married 33 years.

Oldest sister, Retha, and husband, Phil, celebrated their 54th last May.

Youngest brother, Keith, and his internet-shy wife, Susan, were married in 1967.

Middle sister, Sue, and Jack have been married 50 years

Youngest sibling, Darla, and Bill were married in 1973

The six of us, with homes in places from Blaine to Spanaway in northwestern Washington, find ourselves living fairly close together. During my years in the Army, my family and I lived in various parts of the world, but now I've joined my other siblings and live here in the Pacific Northwest. Still travel but for shorter periods of time than in the Army days.

For the past few years, we have met at a casino in the Anacortes area where they generously allow us to use one of their hospitality rooms and then kindly allow us to play in the game rooms when we aren't reunioning. The hospitality room left good memories, the gaming areas were a little more mixed.

This year, as we were sitting around talking after dinner, the subject of marriage and years married to one partner came up. As we reflected on our family, we counted up the years and realized that, for the six couples, we have been married for a total of 287 years to the same partners. We decided that was probably no record but still pretty amazing.

Some of us traveled a lot when we were younger and some of us still travel, even as we've grown older. With modern transportation, it's not like taking a covered wagon, or even a troopship, as I did when crossing the Pacific back in 1963. Now we cross the Pacific in 10 hours or so and from Seattle to the east coast in five hours or so.

Early last week Ikuko and I went east to celebrate Christmas with our younger son and his wife in Durham, NC, and enjoyed quick, comfortable flights each way.

East bound out of Seattle-Tacoma 

Sunset on the tarmac at RDU before heading west for home.

Back to my siblings, another amazing fact is that we all get along with each other. Family feuds are common and when there are six siblings, the odds must be pretty good that at least a couple of the members would be at loggerheads. I have been away from the family for half of our history but from what I observe, all the siblings get along pretty well.

The morning after the reunion, we all gathered for breakfast in a cafe where we continued the talk and played a little Keno. I figured I would give some support to the gambling operation so they would invite us back next year. I think that technique is working. Already I've received a postcard invitation to come back and try my luck. ;-)

This year's reunion finished, we wished each other good health (more and more important at our ages), safe journeys home and resolved to meet again next year.