The Absent Uncle: Traveling home ...

As you read this, Sherrill and I will have landed in Minneapolis. We’re flying, the most part, for the 60th wedding anniversary celebration of my brother Ken and his wife Mavis, plus seeing other friends and family.

Their three kids are putting together a get-together worthy of 60 years of marriage. Course, none of them were there that day. But those of us that were – well – we sweated – a lot! 

Our home church didn’t have air conditioning and Minnesota (and neighboring South Dakota) as we all know, can be brutally hot in early July. And oh my, was it hot!

The year would have been 1966. The date was July 2, and the temperature recorded was 93, per the weather records just Googled for this column. I would respectfully disagree that the actual temperature in that church, that day, that afternoon, was less than 100 degrees.  

As a member of the wedding party, I was required to wear far more clothing than should have been worn, and I can tell you that all of us in the wedding party were soaked by the time the “I do’s” and “you may kiss the bride” were finally spoken. Thankfully, pictures were taken prior; they would have been less attractive after the ceremony.

But this 60th wedding celebration marks a chance for the family to get together another time; for us older ones to be the ones remembering not only the occasion, but also the time since. The changes, events, and mark just where we are now and what we are passing down to those that followed in the 60 years since this wedding.

It is remarkable. The family farm was purchased by my brother; he raised his family there and still lives in the house we built in the summer of 1967.

All that is part of traveling home. Full of memories, full of reuniting with family – some not seen for a long time – and yet, like it was just yesterday. Standing in the church; sweat pouring from every cell on me – wishing the pastor would just skip a phrase or two – just please don’t let me faint.

My body tells me it was just not yesterday; it was 60 years ago. The celebration venue has AC. I checked.