Monday, July 07, 2014

The relativity of relatives

A large number of relatives does not cause one to love them any less, but it does give a little different perspective on the various events of life. It is just a different situation from a small family. I was one of 32 grandchildren. My parents have 22 grandchildren. My wife and I have fifteen. My father was one of ten children, and we had six. Large families just dictate that one cannot give undivided attention to every birth, every marriage, every sickness, every graduation, etc., etc. There just simply is not enough time. It is not that you do not consider those things as important, but there just are not enough hours in the day to fulfill all the duties of life in a large group. I might make every ballgame of two grandchildren, but I am simply not going to make every game of fifteen. It just will not happen. Neither am I going to make every funeral of my cousins. And on and on. The love is not less, but you have to spread it a little thinner. I hope all the various recipients of my affection do not question the quality when the quantity is necessarily more sparse.

More HERE about relatives.

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