I was just reflecting upon my wife’s family. Approximately 25 years ago when we began dating I was made aware of the rather large family that she was part of. She is one of 9 children and she has MANY aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Her father was always very proud to bring out the many reels of slides that were full of pictures of his and his wifes family as he was one of 13 kids, and many of his siblings also had many children.
There were pictures going back decades of all types of extended family holiday get togethers, shared vacations, weddings etc. etc. etc. It wasn’t uncommon for the cousins to visit/live with one another’s family for extended periods of time over Summer vacations, and even beyond once they were finished with high school.
Twenty five years ago and even prior to that, one of my Aunts and Uncles would always host an annual family re-union that was within driving distance for many, and it wasn’t uncommon for there to be upwards of 50 people making there way through the house on that particular Sunday. I went many times and there were never any drunken brawls or fights. It really was an enjoyable family day especially for the elder generations as they talked all about the good ole days.
It’ also noteworthy that there wasn’t really any divorce among these “older generations”, but there were already all types of divorce and single parents happening with the “younger generations”. Yes, societal influence was chipping away at this family whether they knew it or not.
As time went on, the elder generations that hosted this all more or less became elderly or passed away. The tradition was left to the kids which by now were from their 40’s into their early 60’s. Well, this tradition was to be no more as no one from my wife’s generation could be bothered as they didn’t see the value, but only saw the work. Also, these younger generations NEVER INVESTED the Time, Energy, and Effort to stay connected as they were all to busy chasing the buck, and or getting divorced.
Currently, my wife’s siblings all live within a rather short driving distance, and there are not any family get togethers after her parents were gone. They don’t see each other, and all their kids were basically raised as near strangers when it comes to knowing and interacting with their aunts, uncles, and cousins. My wife never hosted anything at our house once because she’s admittedly to lazy to cook and clean for her own family…..TRUE
I think back at tall the slide shows as all those shared experiences which were part of the fabric that enriched all these lives so many years ago. Today, many people don’t have any such memories or experiences, and neither will their children.
This is the “New Norm” as I also have a good friend that has had the same experience with his family. My family was always in tatters so there isn’t there much to compare it to, but it was interesting to see how quickly her family completely fragmented and completely fell apart within a few short years….
In a World of Justin Beibers Be a Johnny Cash
Awakened 1 minute ago.
