A Family Trait

If there's one trait that characterizes my family, it's an unwillingness to go to sleep when there's a possibility of interesting goings-on. Whenever there was a party or get-together, we'd be impossible to put to bed. This is a trait that has carried over to the next generation. Over the Thanksgivng weekend, I sat up one night with my eight year-old niece and goddaughter, exchanging jokes and generally being a couple of goofballs. Last night, my brother Sweetums' kids didn't retire until after midnight, due to a synergistic combination of jet lag, a five+ hour road trip, and sheer overexcitement. When all of the kids in the family are gathered together under one roof, the family reluctance to end the party will no doubt be even more pronounced.

The kids won't want to miss any of the excitement of being together as one big tribe, and we adults will indulge them in this. It's a family trait, and we wouldn't want to miss out on the excitement either. There are just too many interesting things going on to make sleep an option.