Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Winston Churchill and Lady Di are my cousins, albeit 17th and 18th respectively.

I also found that since each of our ancestors married each other in New England c.1650,
my first wife was also my 10th cousin.

I'm willing to bet that some people here are also my cousins...
I hate Starbucks, can we do Wawa instead?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Wawa's good. Haven't seen any in MA or CT. Used to frequent them in PA.

And I'm sure you have more cousins than that. Just takes some digging.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

If I take away family - it probably halves the people I am in regular contact with!
When I married, my inlaws were a pain and my wife's siblings were a long way away. But we made infrequent contact, and for a few days of the year it was mainly pleasant. On divorce my children moved with my ex wife and are now far away - but we keep in contact through social media. My present wife has children from two previous relationships. I didn't want to be called a step Dad - they didn't want a 'new' Dad so they got a George instead. I see my Brothers and their families at weddings and funerals....

I don't understand the 'friend' situation - to me its something young children have at school etc and SOME keep in contact for the rest of their lives....mine never did. Family seems to be a contentious issue at the best of times. Generally 'someone' wants to be in control.....not being a control freak....it is not going to be me.

I am ODD only to those who have a large number of frequent, regular contacts...I have less than ten on facebook (including 'family'.) I just think I have little need to a) discuss my life with others or b) discuss their life!

There are, only three degrees of separation between most people. People you 'have heard of - or recognize,' turn up with unnerving frequency in the most obscure places. Acquaintances is a wonderful word.

Family can be a transient thing.... by choice or circumstance. There isn't a 'Normal'. Each is different in the short or long term.

Be yourself and stop worrying about the rights and wrongs of others. Help when required and 'leave alone' when not needed. Life is too short to be 'involved' with the mundane of others.

have fun - with whoever you happen to be with

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Definitely, with over 3,900 people currently in my tree, I do have a few more cousins.
I have a Wawa 2 miles from me in two different directions. I'm spoiled!

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

I'm a 12th cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth II but I don't consider her family and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't consider me family.

cochese

I have one blood daughter. I have another daughter and three sons, all which my partner had with her previous marriages. They are my sons and daughters too. I love them as my own. The younger two boys know their father but have only seen him for brief visitsa few times while growing up. They introduce me as their dad. Blood has nothing to do with family. LOVE makes family. All but the youngest boy have found their careers and are becoming successful at them. The youngest is 20 and finishing school. I have one grandchild, no blood relationship but he will call me grampa or poppa or some such and I will love him the same as if there were blood ties. You are wasting the most joyous part of life by not enjoying the love others obviously have for you. Likely it is too late for you as you have shunned the children who tried to love you their whole lives. I have a stepfather and am very close to both him and my blood father. Both have taught me valuable lessons. Particularly the one that blood has NOTHING to do with family. I feel sorry for you in your solitary existence.

nospambob Loc: Edmond, Oklahoma

blessed

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

"Family" can be used many ways. Except for legalities, it doesn't matter who is included in a family. "We can choose our friends, but we can't choose our family." Actually, in a sense, you can choose who will be part of your "family."

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

If you and they are joined at the hip, so to speak, they are family, warts and all. When you married your wife, you also married them, figuratively speaking.

mudduck

this seems like a topic you should ask "Dear Abby"

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Yes it does. My step daughters consider me family and I them as well. I actually introduce them as daughters and they like that. All know that legally they are not but they are family. Sort of like the military family of my team called each other brothers and were close and considered family. Family is a point of view. blood to me has nothing to do with it.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

You got that right!

berchman Loc: South Central PA

Apparently, Dear Abby is alive and well on UHH. Those who have expressed sorrow that I am all alone and have refused the love of the step grandchildren (Is there such a thing?), need not be concerned. ("You are wasting the most joyous part of life by not enjoying the love others obviously have for you. Likely it is too late for you as you have shunned the children who tried to love you their whole lives.") Aside from the fact that these children are a 5½ hour drive from where I live, they are of no interest to me. They are being brought up in a way that is distressing to my wife and to me. A diet composed almost exclusively of junk food, mountains of junk toys, profligate spending parents with maxed out credit cards, no intellectual influences, obsession with following professional sports and playing video games. Their beagle runs wild and is teased and tormented by the nine year old. I can't imagine what fantasy prompted the notion that the children of my wife's older son have "tried to love you their whole lives."

As a concession to my wife I visit them with her on Thanksgiving or Christmas. For two years running she has also twisted my arm into spending a week at the beach in a rented house with the whole crew. But this year I refused. She misses me because she has no one at the dinner table to make interesting conversation and no one to complain to about the way the grandchildren are being raised. She also has to drink the lousy, weak, Mr. Coffee, that her daughter-in-law makes rather than the home roasted beans that I make her morning cappuccino with.

But I am not "alone." I have my happy German Shepherd who feels secure knowing who the alpha dog is and knowing what is expected of her. I have the photo outings sponsored by the two photo clubs I belong to. I have two really close friends to whom I write daily and they write back. And I live with my wife of twenty-six years of marriage. My first wife died young. We were married twenty-eight years. I didn't want children and I've never regretted it. When I married the second time I told my wife that I didn't want to live in a house with children so we had a commuting marriage for a number of years until she retired and her children were grown. I value peace and quiet and privacy. All I hear on my nine acres is the birds.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

I have a step-daughter that I call my daughter. Biologically she is my wife’s daughter. I also have two sons by a first wife. I consider all three my children. Recently I had a little cash to spread around so I gave 2K to each.
I feel sorry for you. I don’t think you will ever know the true meaning of family. Too bad.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Family is an attitude. My former wife and her husband are family. We decided that over 40 years ago. We even go on vacations together. Our "attitude" has permeated our entire family, now consisting of quite a few remarriages. Nevertheless, everyone is part of "the family". We have a saying, "It is easy to become part of the family, but once you are in you cannot get out."

Mark