One of the things that saddens me is knowing (or thinking) that the long-standing family tradition of musicians has probably ended. My father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and all of my grandfather’s brothers were professional musicians. When I was a kid, I just took it for granted that everyone got together at Christmas time at Grandma’s house and everyone brought their musical instrument. The men would start to play music right after dinner and everyone would sing and dance and tap their feet and have a really great time. Those days ended a few decades ago, and the family has scattered around the country. Whenever I go to a band concert I start to remember those times of togetherness, when my father and uncle would have friendly competitions with their classic bugles to see who could make the funniest wah-wah sounds (the family would vote) and the strangest melancholy feelings wash over me.

I dearly miss those days of the family musical Christmas parties, and I dearly wish that the younger generations kept the tradition going. But the modern society has scattered the family across the continent and the reality is that many of my cousins will never meet my children, and I will never meet theirs.