About 46 years ago, I got involved with the Brickman family. I married Lorraine, whose mother was a Brickman. They came from Baltimore, MD and eventually settled in Washington D.C., our nation's proud capital.

Eventually, I met Lorraine's grandmother Brickman (Bubby), who as a landlady, collected rents while her husband studied Torah. She looked me over carefully, as she would have checked out a new tenant. Because I spoke a little Yiddish, I passed muster. Whew! Tough lady!

She had six children, four survived and they in turn had nine children. These nine children today are all over 65 years of age. The sequence goes on arithmetically.

These nine children are grandparents to over 20 children. Professionally they are lawyers, physicians, therapists, teachers and technical specialists.

One day, 15 years ago, my brother-in-law, Larry, introduced the idea of a Brickman Family Reunion. He conceived the idea because he felt the second and third generations did not know each other and the family was drifting apart. The thought was approved and we started to meet every two or three years. It was wonderful. The generations melded together and the results were extremely gratifying.

Unfortunately, they usually chose a place to meet in the Poconos or in the Amish country of Lancaster, PA. Coming from Washington or Baltimore it was two-and-a-half or three hours. For Lorraine and me it was four to five hours. Getting to the Verazzano Bridge was the hard part.

The meetings became larger and yet larger. Soon they started to get smaller. The young adults did not want to go and just "hang" with the family. They were preparing for college and needed study time.

This past weekend only one child came. It was only the old-timers. We went to a gorgeous hotel called Willow Valley in Lancaster, PA. It had many playthings for kids, water chutes, kiddy pools and sport activities.

None of the old-timers used these facilities. We decided the next meeting will take place in Atlantic City, where we can lose money but have an adult experience.

Things change!