There are Stories to be Told: Start a Family Tradition

One of the most rewarding ways to use your outdoor living space is to gather your family members for a reunion. Perhaps it's a small group that gets together annually, or a large one whose far-flung members attend every two or five or even 10 years. Whether large or small, a reunion is a wonderful opportunity to knit families closer together through shared stories. In the much-underrated 1990 film Avalon, a Russian immigrant to 1940s America relates the disintegration of his family ties. In his young manhood, his children gathered at the feet of older relatives during family gatherings and listened to tales of their heritage and history. As television took hold of society in the late '50s, children and adults alike opted for the entertainment of television personalities, instead of the stories of their roots. But just as the art of listening to stories has gone by the wayside, so has the art of telling them. Here's how to re-start a tradition of storytelling at your family reunion.