I don't see what's left of my family all that often. Once or twice a year due to the 1500 miles between us. I do talk to them routinely.
My Mom's family has a reunion every other year (it was even numbered years until 2020 and now, hopefully, it will be odd numbered years)
Most of the younger generation (my nephews generation) aren't as interested in keeping this going as there was a necessary generational shift and they are more in tune with their 'nuclear' family. I mean I hardly know most of my cousins children let alone their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I too have seen some family ugliness. My father's sister was all for cutting the 'non blood' relatives completely out when my Grandfather died. With one exception I haven't seen them since.
That is sad isn't it? Wanting to cut out the "non blood" relatives, even though (I assume) time was spent together growing up. In my eyes they are family, none the less.
I've begun to think that the reunion thing is a natural progression.
When I was small, the BIG Smith Reunion, which included my GRANDFATHER's family, brothers and sisters and all their children (those went back to before 1900) was SO big, it was held at the Tattnall Campground.
Literally hundreds of descendents of those great uncles and aunts, who I knew nothing about or now we were connected.
Until this year it was still being held yearly, but it was now down to about 50 people, mostly from the families of 3 of the brothers.
The other families had dropped off the map as far as any of us know
My family is the Roscoe Thurman Smith branch near the top
The others who still show up are from the English Smith branch
Commodore Beecher Smith branch
Claudious Clarence Smith branch, and just a few years ago, a cousin from California
Sought us out. She is from the Stuart Anthony (originally James Bell Smith) branch.
He had a break with the family (long story) left Ga, moved to Cali (and Az ) became a relatively successful screen writer and had a family out there.