Saturday, October 5, 2024
Dear Reader,
One summer day, my cousin Patrice texted me to say that Charles Gallagher, my third cousin, had passed away. She mentioned that a celebration of life would take place the following month, and she hoped I could join with some family members to honor him. Naturally, I thought of my brothers and sisters, who were also part of our shared lineage.
The celebration was set to take place in St. Ignace, Michigan—one of the ports to Mackinac Island, where we had spent many summers working and where our family reunited every year for 25 years at the Grand Hotel. We stayed at the hotel that weekend and reflected on those indescribably fun and magical memories that have lingered long after the summers ended.
It was nice to renew—or perhaps begin anew—our bonds with the rest of the family, even if a funeral wasn’t the ideal occasion. There simply aren’t going to be many other opportunities to do so. After paying our respects at the graveside ceremony, we made our way to a celebration of his life at Nora Gallagher Massey’s home, another cousin. With a live band and over 150 guests, the atmosphere was anything but somber.
As we talked and exchanged stories with the Gallaghers, we realized that they were fun, compassionate folks—just like us. Had we known them in our youth, we would have had great times together. So often second and third cousins and other family grow apart; sometimes, the disparate members of the family tree never reunite. In this case we were able to reconnect with the long-lost cousins as one family.
We resolved that we would meet again soon, and not at a funeral. Why wait for a funeral? Should we not make the effort to stay close and in touch as often as possible? In a fast-paced world, doing this daily, weekly, or monthly is a challenge. But why not annually? Who knows, maybe next year we’ll gather there again, not in mourning, but in celebration of life and family.
