Describe a family gathering that you remember well

One family gathering that I remember vividly took place two years ago, when my grandfather turned eighty. All of our relatives travelled to his village to celebrate, and I think there were around forty of us under one roof, including cousins I'd only seen in photographs.

We arrived the evening before, and the house was already full of noise and the smell of cooking. My aunts had been in the kitchen since early morning, preparing enormous amounts of food. The next day, we all sat in the garden, at long tables my uncles had carried out from the house. My grandfather sat at the head, wearing his best jacket, and one by one the grandchildren stood up and said a few words about him. When it was my turn, I told the story of how he used to walk me to school and teach me old poems on the way. Everyone, including him, had tears in their eyes.

After lunch, the children played football while the older people shared stories about the past. Later, we looked through old photo albums and laughed at how different everyone looked.

I remember it so well because it felt like time had slowed down. In our everyday lives we're all busy and scattered across different cities, but that day we were simply together. I also realised how precious those moments are, because my grandfather won't be with us forever. It's something I'll treasure for a very long time.