What started as a family trip every other year has turned into an annual gathering of Kristen’s extended family at a small river resort in Hunt, Texas, which is near Kerrville… which is near San Antonio. The word “resort” has a connotation to it that I think you would be hard pressed to attribute to this location in reality. You can rent tiny condos of varying quality, as they are individually owned, for a week on the Guadalupe River. Sometime in history a dam was built creating a swimming and fishing area, with a water slide (“flume”) down to a lower wading area. The accommodations are sparse, with a game room and tennis court being the only other options for entertainment. The cell service is non existent, and the wifi is just present enough to infuriate you as it cuts in and out, and lags for no reason. I suppose bad cell service and wifi can lead a person to focus on what really matters, which for us, are the family members who are able to make the trip in that particular year.
With COVID-19, the status of the gathering at River Inn was questionable for a while, but when it came time to come together, about two-thirds of Kristen’s family was able to make it. For some time I have been suspect, and even judgmental, of anyone who has done any sort of gathering with people outside of their home during the pandemic. For many years I have viewed almost every issue as black and white. In recent years, I truly have begun to see just how much gray area there is in our lives. Now, some grays are darker or lighter than others, but in general, it’s difficult to find a cut and dry, 100% correct action in many situations. I think the global pandemic is revealing that a bit. The extreme answer is to close ourselves off physically from everyone as much as possible until this event passes. For those taking this route, I will not ever blame them for such precautions, and we adhere to this plan for the majority of our days. This virus is certainly terrifying in many ways. But when we’re looking at the brevity of life, and how time is slipping away for some things as this pandemic crushes one month after the next, I find myself making some decisions I would not have considered three months ago.
River Inn, like any resort, has multiple people using the same common spaces, most notably the swimming and lounging area by the dam. Social distancing was not impossible, but coming into contact with unmasked strangers was part of the experience. Additionally, although we had our own room, limiting our close interaction with family members outside of our four was not feasible. We had no guarantee that every family member was completely void of the virus, although no one had any notable symptoms of concern (and we know that passing the virus asymptomatically is common). With the cases continuing to mount in America, many looking at our family gathering would surely consider us reckless and inconsiderate of others as we ate and swam (unmasked) together for three days. However, the patriarch and matriarch of this family is celebrating 50 years of marriage on July 14. In their early 80s, these gatherings at River Inn are bound to be approaching the end of feasibility for them. With a multitude of rocky stairs, a considerable distance from a hospital, and the requirement to bring all your food and supplies for three days, the years in which Kristen’s parents can make this trip are approaching their end. When viewing this as simply a vacation, it’s easy to consider our participation as unwise. But when you consider my children who have a limited number of river gatherings with grandma and grandpa left, the idea of skipping a year was much more difficult to consider. When Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy chose to take the risk and make the trip anyway, our decision was made for us. We cannot pass up opportunities like this for our children to spend extended time with family members while it’s still possible to do so. If the oldest and most vulnerable of our family were resolved to go to the river, we chose to follow their lead, maximizing our time with them.
Our days were filled with swimming and throwing rocks in the river, and with nightly gatherings over shared meals. Our final night was centered on a small anniversary celebration with cake, a tribute video, and family pictures. The decision to gather with our family was not 100% right or 100% wrong- few decisions are. We were not ignorant to the risks we were taking, and did not assume that our family would be immune to the trials so many have faced from this virus. In this season, every decision is weighed with risks and rewards, and we are all seeking to make decisions in a world that is rarely black and white. We will use the next two weeks as we cut off all possible interaction with others to enjoy memories made, and pray protection over everyone who gathered to celebrate vows exchanged half a century ago.
