Postma Family Reunion

This morning’s pace was leisurely, fitting for a Sunday morning. We started our breakfast with Maria and Marieke’s rituals of updating the calendar, and lighting an oil lamp. Maria is always interested in spiritual writings so she asked us to read aloud from our book of daily Baha’i readings. It was a beautiful start to the day.

Before lunch we went next door to the church to meet Maria’s small congregation. She is on holidays and did not preach this morning, but I think she wanted to introduce us to the people who are such a part of her life, and she of theirs.

We had a tour of the church and we all enjoyed the pipe organ. The organist was very enthusiastic about explaining how it works. He showed how it could make trumpets, or flutes, and other sounds. We saw the pipes that make the sounds. With a little math we found out that there were 2,320 pipes! It was really something to stand in the middle of a pipe organ!

After lunch we drove to a hall where much of my father’s family had gathered for a reunion. He came from a family of ten children. Six of his siblings, my aunts and uncles, were there, and many, many of my cousins.

I was in Holland about six years ago and then I was the only one of my cousins with children, but this time there were babies and toddlers, and young children and the dynamic had changed. Our girls had so much fun with their extended family. Funny how language is not really an obstacle for young children!

My Aunt Akke and Aunt Conny had done a lot of work in organizing the hall, the food and even a blow-up, bouncing room for the kids to jump in. There were balloons and bubble blowing and the kids all had so much fun.

My Aunt Elske and cousin Frank, from Nova Scotia, were even there. So strange to come half way around the world to meet up with family from Canada!

The younger cousins were there. Some of them had grown so much from the time I last saw them that I hardly recognized them. They seemed to be enjoying Nadim’s stories of our big trip.

I enjoyed chatting with everyone, but it is especially nice to talk with my uncles and aunts and the cousins that are a little closer to my age as I remember them from many visits to Holland.

Near the end of the party, I had such a laugh with my uncle Pier who is now 63. He said that my father and he slept together when they were children! My father was two years younger than Pier and when he was young he had been in hospital with a kidney problem. When my father came home from the hospital the two of them played with a cart, but Pier complained that my father was too weak so he got to ride in the cart and Pier always had to be the horse!

Another uncle, Sikke had done a family history. He had traced the Postma name back to 1701! He had also traced my grandmother’s family (his mother) back to the 1600’s! I’ll have to get the history from him one day.

It was a great reunion, but of course we were all exhausted by the end of the afternoon and evening. It really left me thinking about so many families. My parents have both passed away, so our girls do not have grandparents on my side of the family, but I think it was quite special that they could meet so many great-uncles and great-aunts. I think they have more great-aunts and great-uncles than they do aunts and uncles!

CM

8 days before we get home to Ottawa!