HELLO AND WARM GREETINGS! HAVING JUST ATTENDED A FAMILY REUNION THIS SUMMER, IT REALLY MADE ME THINK A LOT MORE ABOUT THE WAY HUMANS CONNECT. AS I WAS HANGING OUT WITH COUSINS, THE KIDS OF COUSINS AND EVEN THEIR KIDS (SOME OF WHOM I HAD NEVER MET AND OTHERS NOT SEEN FOR 35 YEARS), I WOULD CATCH AN IMAGE OF AN ANCESTOR OR GRANDPARENT IN SOME OF THEIR FACES. ONE COUSIN IN PARTICULAR WALKED AND TALKED AND LOOKED ALOT LIKE MY GRANDFATHER. THIS TRIGGERED SOME WARM AND WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF A MAN WHO WAS KIND AND GENTLE AND HONEST. THEN I HEARD ANOTHER COUSIN TALKING ABOUT HER GRANDMOTHER AND THE COLOR OF HER FURNATURE, THE GERANIUMS IN HER WINDOWS AND HER WHITE CAT AND I HEARD MYSELF THINKING, THAT IS MY GRANDMOTHER TOO. ONCE AGAIN WARM MEMORIES WERE TRIGGERED OF A HOME THAT WAS WARM AND WELCOMING AND CREATIVE AND OF A WOMAN WHO MADE IT SO SPECIAL. FAMILY REUNIONS ARE WONDERFUL OPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE CONNECTION AND STORY TELLING. WITH REAL PERSON TO PERSON CONNECTION WE CAN TRULY APPRECIATE A STORY WITH ALL OF OUR SENSES. WATCHING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND BODY MOVEMENT, HEARING AND FEELING THE EMOTIONS EXPRESSED THROUGH THE VOICE AND LAUGHTER OR SADNESS IN THE EYES ETC. I EVEN THOUGHT I COULD SMELL MY GRANDFATHER’S COWBOY COFFEE THAT HE USED TO BOIL ON THE WOOD STOVE. I TOLD THE STORY OF LIVING WITH OUR GRANDPARENTS FOR ONE WINTER. THE ICE COLD BEDROOM AND LAYERS OF FEATHER QUILTS, THE SOFT FOOTSTEPS OF MY GRANDMOTHER IN THE HALLWAY EACH MORNING AS SHE SWEETLY WHISPERED- GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE. THERE WERE ALWAYS SOUNDS OF TRAINS IN THE DISTANCE AND FEELINGS OF PEACE AND SAFETY. ALL OF OUR STORIES AFFECTED EACH OTHER EMOTIONALLY (SUBCONSCIOUSLY) AND GAVE US THE FEELING OF BEING CONNECTED. IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY , MANY OF US FEEL VERY DISCONNECTED AND THIS CAUSES ISOLATION, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. PERSON TO PERSON CONTACT HAS BEEN FADING MORE AS PEOPLE RELY ON THE INTERNET TO CONNECT. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO WRITE THIS AND SEND IT OUT FOR YOU TO READ, BUT I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT HAVING THE EXPERIENCE OF THAT PERSON TO PERSON CONTACT. THE HUMAN TOUCH IS DEEPLY MISSED AS WELL BY MANY AND ALL OF THIS IS A REMINDER  TO BE WISE CONCERNING TECHNOLOGY. LEAVE YOUR COMPUTER FOR AWHILE AND CALL A FRIEND, WATCH A SUNSET, SHARE A MEAL AND A STORY, FACE TO FACE AND GIVE A HUG-TO A BROTHER A MOTHER A PERSON IN NEED HEY EVEN A TREE AND OF COURSE A BELOVED PET. ITS A BEAUTIFUL WORLD. UNTIL NEXT TIME, WANDA