September 7th

Growing up Hildebrand isn't like growing up in most families. Its dysfunctional, loving, silly, entertaining, upsetting, rewarding and more than anything, for me, growing up Hildebrand has been educational.

In a lot of ways, this family can resemble high school. How so? Well, you either fit in and have the greatest time of your life, or you don't, and you are miserable for a good portion of your time as a whole.

At one time or another, most of the grandkids didn't fit in. Our own choices in lifestyle, chemicals of choice, relationship or any other thing has caused heartache on everyone. Like Ally Sheedy in Breakfast Club, we are the dark girl sitting in the corner wondering and watching as others in the family's life goes by. We cry, yell, withdraw and overcompensate with booze better than anyone.

The neat thing is though, like in High School, sometimes the nerd gets the girl and in this family, you are never written off, even if you have cussed grandma out for ripping your favorite Gap sweatshirt. Once you are a Hildebrand, you are in for life. Kind of like being a Blood, but without most of the gunplay and hip-hop.

In this family we have right wing nut jobs, lemonade drinking liberals. Artists, athletes and pilots. We run rivers, we run races, we ride bikes. We hike, we camp (except for my mom), we shout from the top of the mountain. Some of us are a little Siskel, some of us Ebert; a lot of us country, but the rest of us rock and roll. Some of us are out there doing it, while some of us just report it (for now).

The Hildebrand banner stretches from Alaska (for part of the year) to the Caribbean (wait, Heather, you are totally being selfish in cornering the travel market here!). We have taken our proud name all over the world; There has been a Hildebrand on almost every continent, not even the other families on Evergreen can say that! Suck it Evergreen.

Hildebrands have increased our family name by bringing one or two or three new Hildebrands into our fold, and sometimes letting one two or three get away, but its all cool, our exes are always welcome to of our family dinners.

We won't always agree, we will probably hold a grudge against on of our own at some time, even for years; but it will fade. We won't always see eye to eye on most things, that is what makes us so fantastic. It is a remarkable thing and we need to treasure our differences in politics, religion and whether or not to start watering down grandmas wine at 6 or 7 glasses.

A lot of the times we do things that hurt each other; our priorities aren't always the same, that is a guarantee. We judge ourselves too often and too harshly on who attended this or who didn't come to that. Who was invited here, who wasn't. I mean seriously, no wonder we are all divorced at one point or another, we can't even agree to get together as a family all that often.
But when we do, we come from thousands of miles to celebrate each other, to love each other and to keep the Hildebrand name alive.

I don't see my Hildebrand clan near enough, and now removing myself to the suburbs of Vegas, I will see them less - except for the Johns clam, who, in a month here, I have not seen yet. One thing I have learned though, is that if I offer a warm bed, a lot of food and wine, and a party - they will come. Oh yes, they will come.

I have learned so much from this family, and have taken so much - trying to give more these days, that I could write novels and novels on just grandmas sarcasm or grandpas lousy Spanish accent when he is telling one of his humorous off colors. I can't remember every detail of every day of growing up Hildebrand, but I do know that I am blessed to be part of this gang. Our colors run, but they never fade.

So from Christmas in Winnemucca to Oreos on grandmas face, We are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, exes, friends, wives, husbands, soldiers, masons, artisans, artists, pilots, idiots, comedians, corporate geeks, floaters, travelers, dreamers, Sisters, Elders, Ministers, preachers, players, gossips, blowhards, speakers, writers, readers and singers. We all are...

Hildebrand 4 life