In last week's column I mentioned that the Young Poets award winner for 1995 in Washington DC had the winning poem entitled “Relatives.” As I was planning for this column and sharing with you my thoughts on the family reunion I was planning on attending…. surprise, that winning poem arrived in the mail.

This year’s winner, by young lady age 14, is one to share in this warm thoughts column.

Relatives.

I love my relatives, though they're relatively weird. 

And I got really anxious as a family reunion neared.

I thought of Aunt Wilhelmina and her deadly pinching fingers. 

And good old Uncle Joe. All his wives had been lounge singers. 

See now grandpa Jones, the one who had no teeth. 

And I found this strange disco music loved by Uncle Keith. 

Then I thought of the twin cousins, Herbert and Fred. 

Once they start talking, you wish you were dead. 

My dad’s sister Josie, my aunt, I'm sad to say 

Came to visit for the Fourth of July and didn't leave till Christmas Day. 

I love grandma Rose on my mom's side. She's married to grandpa Jones. 

Then there's cousin Paul. He repairs telephones. 

Then there's my great aunt Don. All she does is sleep. 

And her second hubby Mike, the one who's really cheap. 

I hope my little brother doesn't put frogs in all the food. 

Or my uncle Rob, the teacher will give another lecture on being rude. 

My mom loves Uncle Dave. Personally, I think he's weird. 

I like my Uncle Joe. But he has strange things in his beard. 

Then there's cousin Jeremy, whose hair is very long, 

and grumpy old aunt Bertha. She believes she's never wrong. 

If you could see aunt Beth's clothes and the way they were fitted, 

Then you'd know why my Uncle Joe had himself committed. 

Lately, everyone's worried about my mom's cousin Sean. 

You See, unlike most of my family, He thinks he's a leprechaun. 

Now Don't get me wrong. I love them all. As strange as they may be. 

But none are as relatively weird as the relative known as me. 

By Adrian Dunning, 1995

Dear readers, you all just have to wait until next week for me to share with you my thoughts about family reunions. Keep tuned.

Warm thoughts. Our family as a circle of strength. And with each birth and every Union the circle grows. Every joy shared adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger. Author unknown. 

Celebrate the family at family reunions. 

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

August 24th 1995

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Till next time,

Trina