Outside Perception
Amin n'rangwa edanea
“H” Is for households, my how they have changed.
I choose households for the letter “H” in this years A to Z Challenge. To me the household dynamic has changed a lot from when I was a kid. Perhaps it only seems that way with age as I am aware of more… but I don’t think so.
First my own situation wasn’t standard fare. My Mom and my Grandparents and me. We we’re, from my perspective normal cause that’s the way it was. My friends all had Mom and Dad that was really it. My Aunt’s and Uncles married with kids so my Cousins all had Mom and Dad. My Grandparents had 3 kids and they in turn had 5 kids. Three of my cousins are adopted which matters not a whit to me or to them or anyone else in our family. I suppose that was the one oddity in the family I think the only time it came up was once when the oldest of the grandkids told me that “they” the adopted kids had “us” the non-adopted kids that we were outnumbered and soon to be replaced by Pod’s. Of course He and his younger brother and I had just finished watching Invasion of the body snatchers… and, well, he was the oldest so it was his job to mess with us (laugh).
Today though, the combinations of what a family is much expanded. I, like most of you know of so many different combinations of parenting examples it’s really rather amazing. Of my cousins one has raised one non biological child and is raising another plus his natural child. Another has two kids but couldn’t be there as he would have liked The Moms did an awesome job there and one of his kids is in a same sex marriage ( I should find out if they have kids yet we’re all a bit scattered country wide and well life is complicated right?). Myself I have three kids no grandkids and according to them I wont have any (I was promised dogs to play with but that’s it). Two have no children. My Father had 7 Kids I dont know where any of them are except my Younger Brother and he has 3 kids two live with him one doesn’t. My Wife has a sister that’s isn’t her sister by any conventional sense of the word but that got me another niece and nephew. That’s just my family. People I know, Single Moms and Dads, One friend Fosters kids. When my kids were in school several grandparents were the parental figure. I know of one family that had 4 generations under one roof I honestly think the pets were in charge there. Interracial family’s, same sex family’s… 40 years ago those things had dire consequences… now its better, not perfect by any stretch but better.
Things have changed… Or maybe our knowledge of family has. I wonder how many nieces and nephews I have on my Dads side… I’ll never know. A simple fact that hasn’t changed embrace and defend those who are family… however you come by them. I say I have three kids… it’s more like 5 or 6 though, My Wife picks up strays from time to time 🙂
Spread the Word!!!
One Comment on ““H” Is for households, my how they have changed.”
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Outside Perception 
Goodness yes, times have made any combination possible. Such a change from my Italian Catholic upbringing.
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