Mythology

"Even after thirty-three years of marriage, Ann Marie sat at every family dinner and listening to them tell the same stories, over and over. She had never me a family so tied up in their own mythology."~ J. Courtney Sullivan

I had to chuckle as I read those words. Doesn't every family have their own mythology? And doesn't every in-law roll their eyes (at least inwardly), as those same tired stories are told at every family gathering?

Why are some stories told over and over again? They aren't necessarily flattering either. For example, in my former life no family get together was complete without the re-telling of the son who was left at a toll plaza on the way to the beach. 

In my own family, there was the story of how my grandfather got so angry at a family dinner that he got up and flipped over the table sending food and dishes all over the dining room floor. My Dad used to tell us that story to illustrate his father's fiery temper.

When my son is home from college and we start to reminisce, I like to sit back and listen to each child recall some moment in time from their childhood. There are a few goofy stories, like my oldest hearing the smoke alarm malfunction early one morning. Remembering our fire escape plan, he proceeded to pop open the screen on his window, crawl out and run to the front driveway. Unfortunately, he did all of this without our knowledge, and after a number of minutes of standing alone on the driveway, he climbed back into his room. 

There are plenty of stories to go around. I'm sure the tale of the fire drill will be told again and again, becoming part of our family mythology.