Column: Family gathering

Hey y'all! Here's to hoping today is going great for you and that you're not battling a REALLY bad case of allergies...like me. (Sorry, I just had to whine.)

If you've kept up with my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram pages since last Saturday, this week's column brings those photos to life. I had such a great time meeting and reconnecting with my extended family. I  hope you'll enjoy it and as always, feel free to share it on your own social media pages! :)

original publication date: Friday, November 21, 2014
Random Writer
Family gathering 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to gather with some family members that I've never really spent much time with. While a good amount of the family on my dad's side live in the area, several of them live in south Texas and we'd never made it down there for a reunion. But some of them were coming into town and one in particular was making an appearance.

For all my 27 years, I've never met my uncle David. I came to learn that for the past 35 years, he's been driving a truck all across the country, so obviously he wasn't really around. Recently, he had reconnected with my dad via phone calls, and one Saturday morning I found myself sitting at the table talking to him on the phone. He said that he wanted to finally meet me, and I was excited. Family is something that is very important to me, so when my uncle Carlos told us that Uncle David would be coming to town for the gathering celebrating he and his wife's 40th wedding anniversary, all of us--my parents and twin sister (who also had never met him)--were thrilled.

When we arrived at the venue, we came in and exchanged hellos with familiar relatives and some we had never met. My dad's siblings consist of ten brothers and two sisters, while a set of cousins were the opposite--ten sisters and two brothers. I was able to meet five of them (four of the sisters and a brother) that day.

Not too long later, my mom pointed out that Uncle David had walked in. My parents introduced me to him and we hugged. It was so great to finally put a face to the name I'd heard before. We talked and he told me about how he'd been driving a truck, notably how he would keep a written and voice journal of his life on the road. I had told him over the phone that I worked at the newspaper, so he's hoping I can be his ghost writer to help tell his story.

As we talked, a couple of relatives would come by and he would introduce me. Uncle David probably saw the look on my face when he talked to me in Spanish, which led him to ask me if I understood. I said no, and I found it humorous when he would introduce me with the disclaimer, "She doesn't speak Spanish."

The place was packed once we decided to finally eat. The Serrano family knows how to cook, as the spread consisted of rice, beans, brisket, green bean casserole, corn, turkey with dressing, pasta salad and mashed potatoes. And while we ate, Uncle David walked around playing the accordion and Uncle Joe played the guitar.

One of the things that has always impressed me about my dad's brothers--my uncles--is that they're a talented group of musicians. I know my musical talent of singing and dabbling on the piano is God-given but genetically, it comes from my dad's side of the family. Yet for some reason, my dad never picked up on the singing and playing. He enjoys listening to their music and honestly, his talent is being an awesome pool player who can pretty much beat anyone.

And while the fellowship of family and the great food are great reasons to come together, listening to the Serranos play music is just as special. Between my six uncles who played that day--Carlos, Joe, Tony, Tommy, Manuel and David--they play the accordion, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and sing vocals.

In fact, most of them switched instruments throughout the day and evening as they played. My uncles David, Carlos and Tony went from playing the accordion to singing to playing the acoustic guitar, and Uncle Manuel played the acoustic and bass guitars. My uncle Tommy played the drums in the beginning, but later on his son was on the drums, making it a multi-generational affair.

It was a great time of listening to music and even dancing to the music. I can now actually say that I've danced with my dad, which is something I will hold dear in my heart. And when the cumbia was played, the floor was packed as we danced in a circle.

But probably the best part of the night for me was when I sang as my family played behind me. When we arrived that afternoon, my uncle Carlos asked if I wanted to sing and I said yes, but I told him that I probably didn't know any of the same songs they did. But later that evening, we discovered that we both knew one song: "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline. My uncle Manuel pulled me aside and had me sing it to him so he could figure out the key and rhythm on the acoustic guitar. He went to practice with his brothers, and within less than 30 minutes they had it down. I was nervous (I'm not a spur-of-the-moment person, especially with music), but they did an exceptional job. And that's how it is when they get together--they live in a wide variety of places so they don't practice, but they just start playing and it sounds awesome.

Sadly, my phone died right before I sang with them (thankfully, my aunt Delia recorded it and posted it to Facebook), but it's a memory I will always carry with me. I felt so much pride in my family and thankfulness for the opportunity not only to sing with them, but just for a day of spending time with them. These family gatherings are rare, but when they take place I thank God that He allows us to come together so I can learn more about my family heritage.