50+ Lifestyles

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

June Is Fabulous with a Capital “F”

By Eloise Graham

F is for Family Reunions. They are prevalent in June. Many families plan a family reunion on Memorial Day Weekend. Often, this will extend over into the first part of June. School is out and perhaps the organized summer activities have not yet started, so June is the perfect time to plan a family get together. Cousins of the first, second and third relation can reunite again. Maybe it has been one year or five years since they were all together. Parents, aunts and uncles can talk about their heritage and ancestors. These events can be a three or four day get-together with organized games and events, or maybe just an afternoon picnic in the local park. However the duration of the event, it is great to get family together.

When growing up, our family had small gatherings of family members from time to time. I have memories driving an hour or so to the one of two great-aunts. They were sisters both widowed that now lived together. They had such beautiful flower gardens. Another time I played with second cousins I didn’t know much about. We only lived about 15 miles apart but rarely got together. However, a few years ago I attended a large gathering of the descendants of my great grandmother. She had moved from Louisiana to Kansas in a covered wagon with her four sons after the death of her husband. I knew some of the history and a few of the descendants. It was a great time to meet others and learn more about my heritage.

F is for Festivals. Many are abundant in June. Here in the QCA there is a plethora of festivals to choose from. For fruit festivals there are the Aledo Rhubarb Festival on June 6 – 7 in Aledo, Illinois and the Long Grove Strawberry Festival on June 27 – 29 in Long Grove, Iowa. Both communities go all out for these events. Bettendorf has a Be Downtown event on June 7. The Pride Festival at Schwiebert Park in Rock Island is June 6 – 7. Geneseo is having a Music Festival June 13 – 15. Pulling Focus African American Film Festival of the Quad Cities is June 7. Films will be screened at the Putnam Museum in Davenport. There will be two showings. Quad Cities Juneteenth Festival will be June 14 at Le Claire Park in Davenport. This festival is hosted by Friends of MLK.

F is for Flag Day on June 14. Here are some fun facts about the flag. The flag was officially adopted on June 14, 1777. That is why we call June 14 “Flag Day.” The 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies.The 50 stars represent the fifty states. There have been 27 different variations of the flag. The current flag is the only variation that has to have lasted over 50 years. The colors of the flag have specific meaning. The red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and the blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. Flag Day was officially established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. What a great day to wear red, white and blue!

F is for Father’s Day, the third Sunday in June. This year it is is June 15. Father’s Day in the United States originated in Spokane, Washington in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to recognize and honor her father. He was a Civil War vet and father of six. He raised his six children as a single parent after his wife died. Sonora wanted a day set aside to honor the sacrifices and contributions of fathers. Father’s Day gained support from various presidents, but it wasn’t until 1972 that it became a national holiday.

As for me, I had four fathers that I honor. My birth father who gave me life, however I was orphaned at 13 months of age. My adopted father of whom I have many fond childhood memories. He passed away when I was 11. My father-in-law who would regale me with stories about when my husband was a little boy. My step-dad who became a wonderful grandpa to my children. All four men were wonderful, hard-working, sacrificing, never complaining, loving men.