Families

A few weeks ago we had a family birthday party for my uncle (my dad’s brother). One of the presents for my uncle was a framed set of photographs of himself and his family i.e. my dad, their sister and their parents. This was the first time I had seen a photograph of my grandparents. I was told that I must have met them while they were still alive but I can’t remember. It does state that my dad was born in 1936 which would have made him 72 this year.

Some of the family at the party I had not seen for seven years since the last celebration. For some of the family it was even longer. I was almost in tears when I saw the photograph of the grandparents especially as I was talking to my auntie and she dismissed my sadness at never having met them or having a copy of the photograph. But I think what I learnt is that even if my dad was still alive, it may still have been that we would not have seen the family. I’m not sure he got on with his sister and brother. I am on good terms with my cousin and I do hope to see more of her (and her family) in the future. But I have spent the years since my dad’s death mourning the lack of family, but actually there isn’t much there to start with. In the end, what actually is family?