There are many things in this world that you can deny but family is not one of them. We are all members of a family. Only children are members of an often very small family unless there are Aunts, Uncles and cousins. My family is very large on both sides of my family. My father had three brothers who all had children and they had children and now some of those children are having children. The same applies to my mother’s family where there were five children who all did their duty at the time and brought more progeny into the world. Their children had children and as you can imagine the pattern repeated itself. The good thing about large families is that there is always someone to rely on when you are moving or need a shoulder to cry on. Extended families can be close or distant. No matter the geographic location, they are still family. Family members sometimes get lost for a variety of reasons such as family disputes, often over money or pride or just losing touch when members have to move away for work or in my grandfather’s case, the need to get out of the country or face going to jail. That’s a whole other story. Happily, for my own family, a branch of the family that was estranged for decades has recently reunited with our extended family. It’s amazing to be able to find out about family members that have been out side of our family circle for so many years. To meet their children and hear their stories. Their curiosity about our grandparents tugged at the heart strings and only emphasized what they had missed growing up and what we had missed not having them in our lives. They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. We all have friends who are like family. They are there for us when we need them. They support us through thick and thin and will often step in when family fails us. Families, after all, are made up of individuals who all have their own filter through which they view the world. Children who grow up in the same family can recall stories that no one else remembers, or they remember it very differently. A happy family experience for one child can be a very different experience for another child in the same family. Family dynamics plays a big role in who we become as adults. That filter I referred to earlier is created by our childhood experiences, many of them within our own homes. One thing is for certain. Families are important, at least in my eyes. Whether it’s a family of blood relatives or a family made up of close friends. Families are always there when you need them. They love you and hold you up. They cry with you when tragedy strikes, and they also celebrate your successes. My granddaughter, Julia, inspired this month’s blog post. We crocheted, we cooked, we learned, we walked, we hugged and we talked a blue streak. Spending time together with
family is the best!
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