We found this great blog post from Rene and asked if we could publish it here on Forest Friends. So, without further ado, here it is!

“This weekend my family journeyed to Cook Forest, Pennsylvania. We do it every year in October and is a family tradition in my husband’s side of the family that’s been going on for about 50 years or more. It seems now a days that traditions are easily broken because they do not “fit” into our hectic lives, but this one lives on and I imagine will live on for quite some time if my husband has anything to do with it.

In Cook Forest we stay at MacBeth’s Cabins, which are quaint little cabins in the heart of the forest. We always go with the same clan, plus or minus a few folks each year. This is as close to camping as my husband and I get…we like the kind of camping that includes showers, bathrooms, pre-cut wood for our nice fire place, a refrigerator, etc. Along with myself, my hubby and our two kids, are always my Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law, and our aunts, uncles and cousins on my hubby’s mom’s side of the family. And usually each year we have a guest family or friend that joins us. This is a time that everyone looks forward to each year. A time to just hang out and actually talk to each other, about important things sometimes, but mostly about nothing. We hike a bit, do a lot of eating and sitting out by the fire, and definitely do a great job of making fun of each other and laughing. The kids get really dirty and have fun playing games they often times are to busy to play. It is a time to just “be” with each other without any formal plans or engagements. No one can say they are “too busy” or just don’t have “enough time.” We are there, together, and for a small period of time, nothing else really matters. Instead of being concerned about getting the kids here or there or doing this or that in the house, all you’re really concerned about is that your kids are having fun and when you’re going to eat next. Leaving the other “stuff” back at home makes it much easier to reconnect with the family, which to me, is an important thing to do.

I strongly feel that there should be some time every year, some planned time at least once a year, to get your family together to just reconnect. Sure, you may gather for birthdays and special holidays, but I think it’s important to have something else, something like an annual trip or family reunion, where everyone knows they are there just to ‘be” with their family and no other reason. In today’s society with all of the hustle and bustle, we should not forget about what is most important to us. We may not all live near each other, but we can all make the effort to get together and celebrate what we mean to each other. And I think just showing up is a great start.

We had a blast this year and look forward to many more.”
Renee Anderson
B’s Purses Designer