It was one of those family reunions where as an aging member, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep track of the ever-growing family.
When I was young, we had these gatherings, and it was my cousins whom I knew, plus their parents, my uncles and aunts. Then in time, each of my cousins married, had kids, those kids grew older and married and had kids, and here I was in the thick of it, family left and right, and most of them I didn’t know who was with who or whose family one came from.
My Aunt Peg, my oldest surviving aunt knew who everyone was. As it was, she had great-grandchildren, and there was a promise of even more to come.
I felt like a fish out of water. Standing there, not recognizing most of the people there save for the occasional cousin who came my way and was grateful to recognize someone.
It can be a long day when your conversation begins with: “And who do you belong to?”
There seemed to be a myriad of small children running about, so it was a relief to finally be in the car heading home. Being in the thick of it can be tiring.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/sunday-writing-prompt-in-the-thick-of-it-march-7th/
Morpethroad 
I know the feeling. I’ve been to two family reunions like that. Still, it is so much fun to connect with those you know.. and yet an eerie feeling to have all these relatives you’ve never met before.
Ah, it is hard to know everyone!
I’ll never have that problem. No aunts or uncles, no cousins, no brothers or sisters. Not too much to be in the thick of, but Christmas with my nine grandchildren is brilliant! I don’t think I could cope being in the thick of it like you, Michael 😀
It has been years since I have seen any relatives and now there are so many I have never met and probably never will. I moved from my home state over 40 years ago and have never gone back. Sort of like I am in the witness protection program.