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During the holidays, families across the country practice different family traditions such as getting together around the Christmas tree to open presents or reuniting at a relative’s home for a few days. 

For one family, their tradition is simple yet meaningful: they get together every year for a weekend at a different bed and breakfast. 

“My daughters decided 13 years ago that it would be great for us all to get together,” Joan Meredith said. “There’s nothing that they give me for Christmas, just themselves. We get together once a year for a weekend—there’s no husbands, no grandchildren—and we just have a great time. This is my Christmas present and my birthday present.”

Every year, one of Meredith’s six daughters is in charge of planning the trip. This year, Meredith’s second-to-youngest daughter, Tanya Messimer, planned the event; however, she did not intentionally plan for this year’s gathering to be at the Merriam Barrett Guest House, 124 E. Third St. In fact, she did not plan for the family to end up in Oswego at all.

Karen Corrigan, Meredith’s oldest daughter, relayed the task to Messimer to look for a destination spot in Owego, N.Y. Messimer, however, heard Oswego instead. 

“It was a mix-up actually,” Messimer said. “It was a perfect mistake. We were definitely meant to come here.” 

“At first, I thought there was nothing to be found here,” Corrigan said. “Then I called the Merriam Barrett Guest House, which is awesome by the way, and they said they only had one weekend open. It was such a fluke thing.”

Once the ladies settled in to the historic home, everything else fell into place. 

“We all had a sugar high with all the candy Marty [Barrett] left for us,” Meredith said. 

Lorraine Wolosin, Colleen Buresh, Eileen Owens and Rhonda DeSimone, along with Corrigan and Messimer, agreed on the success of accidentally choosing the Merriam Barrett Guest House. From the breakfast to the service, they were all extremely pleased. 

“We were allowed to have seconds,” they said, regarding breakfast. “We went to places where we had brunch on Saturday morning, and if you didn’t finish it, you had to eat it on Sunday morning. It was oatmeal and hot dogs, it was nasty!”

Although they’ve experienced bizarre services at other bed and breakfast locations across New York, the ladies continue to plan gatherings without consulting reviews. 

“It’s all about the experience,” they collectively said. 

Since the family has been gathering at bed and breakfasts for 13 years, they have settled into a routine each year. 

“We usually go out and take pictures and shop around,” Meredith said. “Then we usually come back around 4 and have cocktail hour. And then we get dressed up and go to dinner.”

The ladies, who are gathered in the sitting room at the guest house, laugh as they share their method of voting for whom gets to pick where they all reunite the following year.

“We argue until one of us picks someone,” Wolosin said, as the rest of her sisters and mother laugh along with her. 

They all agree DeSimone is the best at executing their gatherings to perfection. Unlike the rest of her sisters, she researches a hot spot before picking it. 

“I’m not planning next year though,” DeSimone said.

“We don’t know that yet,” Meredith said, as they laughed collectively. 

Being in a room with seven women means that there’s never a quiet moment. For Owens, however, it’s all in good spirit, even though she is the quiet sister of the bunch. The sisters dubbed her “Switzerland” for her neutrality. 

“I just go wherever they tell me to,” she said as her sisters joked around in the background. 

Corrigan is known as the positive sister in the group. She is infamous for starting the tradition 13 years ago.

“She’s always planning things,” Buresh said. 

The sisters then began to label each of their personalities as they spoke about Corrigan’s positivity.

“Karen is always making memories. She has the best attitude, she’s positive. She likes to keep everyone together. She’s fun,” DeSimone said. 

“Sometimes a little too fun,” Wolosin added. “She’s very loud and sometimes over-the-top with her planning. She thinks that everything should be over-the-top, but the rest of us aren’t over-the-top people.”

Everyone, including Corrigan, laughed at Wolosin’s description of her sister and continued on to label everyone else.

“Lorraine is the spiritual mother,” one sister shouted.

“Colleen is the entertainer. She is the one we all wish we were. She’s the dreamer, the free spirit,” another sister added.

“Eileen is the mediator, she’s calm and she’s realistic,” they added. 

“Rhonda is dramatic,” they quickly shouted in unison. “She’s very giving too. Whatever she can give you, she will.” 

“Rhonda is the baby of the whole bunch,” Meredith said. “But she’s very Godly.”

“Tanya is very patient and kind,” they agreed. “She’s also the comedian but she doesn’t know that.”

Once the sisters finished labeling each other, they realized one thing: “Well, at least we’re not boring.”

They shared a laugh. They shared memories. They shared good company. Finally, they were together in one room, all six sisters with their mother. They rejoiced in their annual tradition, enjoying it to its fullest.

“I’m hoping that the girls carry this on because it’s a great tradition for sisters and eventually, they can work their daughters into this too,” Meredith said. “It’s a great family tradition.”