Los Angeles

personal reflections on the importance of family

By Ellie Pritts

February 3^rd, 2016

reuniting in california

Last week I took a much-needed trip to L.A to visit with my family. It was bittersweet and got me in the mindset to reflect about the importance of solid connections with family and friends in times of need.

I had been unable to go home for the holidays and it took a toll on me. Last winter was tough for my dad in particular, because his brother Tom was fighting an increasingly grave battle with leukemia. I was unable to visit Tom with my dad and felt pretty bad about not being there to support him. So when my dad suggested we visit L.A, I thought it was a great idea.

“THERE IS NO SINCERER LOVE THAN THE LOVE OF FOOD.”

We kicked off our arrival in L.A with an epic meal. My uncle Rob got enough prime steak for a small village and the leftovers were consumed for several lunches thereafter. Since we were staying with Rob, we ate almost every meal together as a family. I know it’s been said a million times before, but I really believe there is something fundamentally important about eating meals together. I didn’t realize how much I missed that until it became routine again!

SOMEONE GREAT IS GONE

I awoke on my first morning in L.A to an oddly quiet house. When I entered the kitchen, normally bustling with breakfast activities, I immediately knew something was wrong. Everyone was sitting at the kitchen table, teary eyed and silent. My dad told me that his brother Tom has passed away an hour earlier. I lost my appetite and decided to break the news to my sister so my dad didn’t have to.

Forward, Together

Sadly, Tom’s passing was not unexpected. We knew he was in his final days when the trip started. I know I personally felt incredibly grateful that I was with my family when I received the news, instead of being alone in Austin. We were able to share fond stories of his life and childhood and had many a scotch in his honor. We mourned, and still mourn, together. I don’t think I fully realized how vitally important that would be to me and everyone else.

we are family

One of the things I love most about being with my family is that everyone is so creative; we all seem to think the same way about creativity and share a lot of aesthetic taste. Usually I feel like the odd one out in life, but it’s very clear that all of us Pritts folks are cut from the same weird cloth. For example, a typical family outing with my dad and Rob includes making at least one (usually twisted) short film. I love it. I had packed two cameras, my father packed at least 3 drones and a handmade gimbal he crafted for his GoPro. Rob is a professional director with all the requisite gear and hardware. So we spent most of our time nerding out with our various cameras and drones, and it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

man's best friend

The subject of this weekend’s film was more lighthearted. My dad and Rob made a short video of Rob’s very cute dog, Wheeler. You can see it here if you’d like: https://vimeo.com/153839544

Write your story here. (Optional)

i love l.a

I ended up spending most of my time around Venice. I really like it there, and it was so beautiful for the weekend I was around. I hadn’t spent time there since I was 16. Not a whole lot seems to have changed since then, minus all the weed doctor places. For $40 I could have gotten a medical marijuana card. I debated doing it but I figured it’s probably going to be completely legal there soon. It’s still pretty fascinating to witness this change of policy, from a historical perspective.

Write your story here. (Optional)

In memory of tom pritts

My big take away from this trip to L.A was to cherish life while you have it. Not only your own life, but the lives of the people you care about. It really is precious. I feel blessed to have such a tight-knit family and support network. I can’t forget how lucky I am to have that.

This post is dedicated to my uncle Tom Pritts. He was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, father and grandfather. He was an amazing and strong individual. His passion for photography and astronomy was something we shared.