We Are Family - Verse 2
The family banquet was absolutely wonderful! Young and experienced (really means elderly lol) alike joined together in remembering our family's past, enjoying the present, and looking forward with high hopes & expectations for the future!
Past - Nicka gave intricate details about our family history, stressing the importance of remembering those who came before us. A snippet of her documentary, If These Waters Could Talk, was shown in which Brenda Pridgen (another Cameroon traveler) remarked, "Our [African American] history doesn't start with slavery; it precedes it." Thanks to Nicka, we now know that our family history started in Cameroon, Africa.
Present - The 2011 Atlas Family Reunion marked the first time that King Atlas Sr.'s entire lineage was represented! We also made history by having the most number of family members 
present at this reunion! To celebrate the present, a slideshow was shown celebrating new births, marriages, & graduations of family members since the last reunion! Our family is growing rapidly - 9 generations and counting! Time was taken to also celebrate those that are still with us, such as Annie who will be 95 years young in just a few weeks! We also recognized those that contribute greatly to the success of our family, such as John Atlas, Timothy Phillips, Edward Atlas, Raichel Brown, Jean Denton-Thompson, just to name a few. While these ones were given special recognition, we all contribute to the success of our family. Each family member's presence at this reunion is a present in itself. For those who cannot be here physically, your spirit is felt in more ways than you know.
present at this reunion! To celebrate the present, a slideshow was shown celebrating new births, marriages, & graduations of family members since the last reunion! Our family is growing rapidly - 9 generations and counting! Time was taken to also celebrate those that are still with us, such as Annie who will be 95 years young in just a few weeks! We also recognized those that contribute greatly to the success of our family, such as John Atlas, Timothy Phillips, Edward Atlas, Raichel Brown, Jean Denton-Thompson, just to name a few. While these ones were given special recognition, we all contribute to the success of our family. Each family member's presence at this reunion is a present in itself. For those who cannot be here physically, your spirit is felt in more ways than you know.Future - Our family is ripe with talent & tenacity! What strings these two together is the
"perfect bond of union" - LOVE! The banquet was a perfect symbol of such, but prior to the banquet was the family symposium where the destination for the 2013 reunion was chosen (Minnesota!), and a family non-profit organization was discussed. The love that we show towards each other coupled with the love that God shows for each of us ensures that our family will continue to blossom!
"perfect bond of union" - LOVE! The banquet was a perfect symbol of such, but prior to the banquet was the family symposium where the destination for the 2013 reunion was chosen (Minnesota!), and a family non-profit organization was discussed. The love that we show towards each other coupled with the love that God shows for each of us ensures that our family will continue to blossom!
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