D Goes to Nebraska for a Family Reunion and Makes a Big Discovery [PICTURES]

I typically dread the drive to Nebraska, I am more of a hop on a plane kind of person, but this trip was exceptional. We had great weather, good company and I made a big discovery about myself, I'm am incredibly selfish.

So here's the deal, we gather together to commune and catch up from where we were last time we all got together. We have, in the immediate family, ourselves who traveled from Colorado, one of James' brother Don from North Carolina mixed together with a handful from around the Nebraska area.

The real fun starts when you all gather at a hall in a little town near Vertigre where we celebrated Kolache Days and the wonderment begins.

I found that no matter how old or young you are you get a kick out of this stuff. All these people in one room, that for my James and his family are related to on his dad's side of the family. You have babies and others closing in on 100. The dynamics are amazing.

When you go to a reunion, a big time family summer event, you eat potato salad, look at pictures and reminisce about all that has come before today. You learn things you never knew and finally find out the identity of that woman in the third row of the picture from 1958.

A reunion is a great way to reconnect and develop new relationships with old cousins. And then there are the numerous pictures you take of the whole family, individual families, cousins and aunts & uncles. (pictures no doubt that someday someone will again ask, 'who is that woman in the third row?'

The big discovery isn't as big as I may have made it out to sound... one, I love big families (guess that I always knew that), two, you're never too old or young to reminisce and thirdly, everyone has a life situation that they try to cover for the greater good of those around them. This last one really gets me, as I wear my heart on my sleeve all of the time... I don't make any efforts to hide my sorrow, pain or burden(s). I am selfish, and I am sorry. I found out that more than one person was going through a big thing in their life and never let on until the last hug, the very last moment of the trip. See they didn't want to ruin anyone's time or fun. I learned a lot from this behavior this weekend and hope going forward that I can be more like this one person that affected me the most.

It's easy to complain, gossip and speculate... it's really hard to suck it up, give one another space and the benefit of the doubt. We alone are not the only people on the planet that shoulder a burden and its time that we stop acting so entitled. I'm not saying you do, but I do and I know others who do as well. So at some point in the days ahead, I personally hope that I can be more of a light in the lives of people around me and not such an occasional flash of darkness.

BTW...  thank you Nebraska for a great weekend!