I Think We're Going To Need A Bigger Book

Hi All.
This morning I posted a message to a few relatives:

Hey Family, I'm getting ready to start working on a book and wanted to let you all know. If you have any stories or suggestions I'd love to hear from you. Also, would you let the rest of the family know, Thanks so much.

tIntro to "Gravy Every Sunday" Back when I was growing up on Sandy Street, we lived with my Grandmom, Carmella. We moved in with her before I can remember. There was Grandmom, my Mom Mary, sister also named Mary, brother Bob and me. Over the years aunts, uncles and cousins moved in and out as well. I believe at one time that four bedroom house was home to ten of us as well as whichever Army buddy Uncle Joey brought home from Fort Dix for the weekend. There was always room for one more at the table. The best part of the week was Sunday morning when I would wake up to the aroma of meatballs frying in the skillet and homemade gravy cooking on the stove.Every Sunday all the family that lived in town would sit down together. If anyone was not there when Grandmom put the spaghetti dinner on the table, they got a phone call letting them know they needed to get there now!

The responses came quick and numerous as well as suggestions for who else to include and where and when we could all get together to talk it over. I'm starting to think that the writing the memories and the actual sitting down together are all connected to the "gravy". I have seen psychic mediums over the years because of a desire to connect with  husbands and other family members who have passed. Both my Grandmother a while back, and an uncle this year have said they miss the gravy.
As I was out walking this morning it occurred to me that the connection is the coming together as "family" as much as the food itself and  it's preparation.

The book will be written, I have no doubt, and I know I will enjoy the memory of us all getting together again and reflecting on what we have shared in the past. But the gravy in my story can also be the pot-luck picnics shared with friends, coffee and home-made desserts at a meeting or at a friends home, bringing a home-town sandwich or chocolate to a friend up the road  or even Gatorade shared with a member of a different kind of family having a bad day.

So as I start out on this adventure in writing, I have no clear idea where I'm going , but I do have an idea  that it's about taking time on a regular basis to be present to those we care about and maybe establishing pleasant rituals that we can carry with us when they are no longer around. And if we can add a smile and some good food it's all good.