April Letter from the Editor
by Kelsey Wagner | Editor-in-Chief
The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
As kids, we attended a big “family reunion” for my mom’s side of the family every Easter. Over four generations of family members would attend from all over the region and country. I remember asking my mom who “that person” was during the reunions or how we were related to them, pointing to the guy in the tan jacket with long gray hair.
My mom would tell me they were my grandma’s cousin’s husband (cousin-in-law) or my great aunt’s daughter (first cousin once removed) who lives in Texas, and this would give her time to fill me in on the oral histories of our large, very eclectic family. I learned so much about family history and lore during these events. Reunions were always a great time to connect with family and build new memories.
I loved watching kids grow up and eventually get married, and we would welcome new babies into the family. It was sobering to meet at funerals to say goodbye to our loved ones, and I watched as the dynamics of the “matriarchs” and the “patriarchs” began to change over time. At some point in the last twenty years, I can’t even remember exactly when our family reunions stopped happening.
And I get it. People get busy, and sometimes, when that one person who has served as the anchor is no longer around, things fall through the cracks.
I’m happy to say that, for the first time in a long time, we are holding another family reunion. It will be nice to see faces I haven’t seen in a long time, distant relatives, and cousins from long ago.
In conversations I’ve had with friends, it seems we aren’t alone in not having held reunions in a while. For many, COVID appeared to be the harbinger of doom for large-scale events and traditions like family reunions. For others, the rise of social media may have lessened the need to get together in person, instead allowing distant relations to stay in touch online.
Whatever the reason, it’s no secret that social interaction between families has dramatically changed in the last twenty years. However, despite the changing social culture, it also seems like families are hoping to reconnect. According to Airbnb, there was a “90% increase in searches for large group accommodations” compared to pre-pandemic years, with “family reunion” being one of the top search terms. They said, “In 2024, Airbnb observed a notable 15% increase in bookings for groups larger than five in North America compared to the first quarter of 2023, marking it as the fastest-growing booking category over the past four quarters.”
I am very much looking forward to reconnecting with my family at our upcoming reunion, and I can’t wait for my kids to ask me who each person is and how we are related to them so I can fill them in on our family history.
I hope you spend your spring outdoors in the sunshine, enjoying this beautiful weather. And if you decide to invite 150 or so of your family members over to enjoy the outdoors with you, well, I believe that would be time well spent.
Happy April, everyone.
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