I come from a large family. My parents both have many brothers and sisters. When I was a boy, during late July, my family would hold a reunion (聚会) every year. Usually more than 50 family members would attend the party.
The reunion would take place in a large public park in the late afternoon because it wasn't too hot at that time. Each family would bring their own food to eat. Usually each family had a special dish that would be shared. Some families would bring potato salad while others would bring a dessert or self-made special drinks. There was always more than enough food.
Almost everyone would play games. Younger people played softball, football, volleyball and so on. However, Uncle Sam always taught Cousin Chris and me to play badminton. Chris and I went to the same school and we kept beating other players and won several state games. The older family members would sit under a tree and watch the games or just sit around and talk. Everyone enjoyed himself/ herself because it was a good chance to catch up on what his/her relatives were doing that year.
Those family reunions are the best memories I have of my childhood. Today it seems that everyone is too busy to hold or attend family reunions. Now, no matter how nostalgic I feel about those family reunions, those memories remain very clear in my mind.
