The Uninvited Guest

I come from a large family.(The picture above is only about half of us.  I was not even married at the time and so all the great grandchildren are missing...as well as the spouses of us all. ) But, when I was a young parent we used to have these humongous events at Christmas, Easter, Father's Day(it was my grandfather's birthday) and the Saturday of Easter.  There would be tons of people, the elders, their children, their children's children, a few friends scattered in...it was monumental.  There was always so much food and it did not matter if you were at the end of the line there was always enough. Several years ago my mom was hosting the event at her house.  The dining room was arranged with tables around the walls to hold all the food.  The people at the end of the line would sit at those tables.  My mom had strategically placed card tables throughout her house....she was ready and meant everyone would sit this year.  I was at the end of the line and sort of my mom's co-hostess.  It was my job to make sure everyone found a seat and had everything they needed.  With my mission accomplished I got in line.  There was a cute little boy ahead of me in line and I spoke to him.  He was quite the conversationalist and I, not knowing all my cousin's children, assumed he was one of theirs.  He piled his plate high and headed out to the porch area where the kids were all eating and ate with them.  When they finished eating, they played in the yard for a couple of hours and then one by one families started heading home.  My cousin and her family left....we hugged everyone.....the little boy was in her batch of family...we hugged him...and then it happened.  My cousin and her family got into their van to leave....and the little boy started walking briskly down the road.  You see...he had been walking to the store when he saw all the children at the house, smelled the food, and decided....the people in the house would not notice one more....and we didn't.  We did not know this then....but years later....I actually met the young man....and he told me his tale.  I stood in Wal-Mart and laughed til I cried.  So, next time YOU are at a family reunion....look around.  Are all those people REALLY related to you?  Or is it just someone grabbing a free meal.  It is done more often than you can imagine.  Happy Monday!