Family and Sense Of Community ( Archived) (24)

nope...no broken homes. Death has appeared quite frequently though unfortuntely.

the only broken home would have been my own...with my kiddies father..

but We're ok!...

My two sons have different fathers. I am good friends with my younger son's dad and his wife (they stayed here for over a month in June) and my son will be visiting them in Okla. in Sept., also staying with his grandmother, visiting other relatives. My older son, same thing, visited his dad in Colorado and grandmother in Calif. a few months ago.

We all live far from eachother, but stay in touch (I have encouraged since we moved) so they know they are loved by many others in their life.

:)

Hi Mummy

Can I be adopted into your family!!!!

I'd love a Christmas like that !!!

Pretty please xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While my paternal grandmother was alive there was a weekly family get together on Sundays, all the generations gathered for lunch, for bridge, an afternoon of catching up and bonding.

Once she passed it tapered off. We all were older, my generation, young adult and working with our own lives starting and the family gatherings became a Christmas thing. I would fly in from NY for my mother's birthday and for Christmas every year.

In Barbados the trend to two job families and the dying off of the extended family has had a noticeable result. Where the whole community would 'police' its members, any one of us telling a child to behave and watch its manners, reporting back to Mother & Father any misdeeds now there is no one there to do the watching, to be the eyes and ears of the community, and everyone has cars and goes their own way as soon as they are seventeen. Drugs and gang wannabes are furthering the schism.

The change in just 24 years is astounding and unnerving in a way. Community and continuity have become memories rather than a fact of life.

Good topic. Thanks.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a wonderful loving atmosphere with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins...those were some of the best times of my life. It is very unfortunate that my children will not be afforded the same experience. Unfortunately, there are no living Grandparents for them and the close connections that was once there, are no longer. I think about that often and it saddens me deeply.

ofcourse hun!...

more the merrier.

we're all adopted anyhow!...

oh, btw, thanks for the advice on the irish forum about the dogs..

N

x

I wasn't even considering the "vehicle" society Dorielle...good point.

Most of my relatives lived in the same county, and there was that extended web when I was younger......always myself and the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's. The distance did seem to grow larger in our collective late teens, mostly because of our self-absorbtion, but also because "created business" that the mobility manufactured.

You've heard of "it takes a community to raise a child"?


Nowadays, I am not sure I want anyone in my community to help...not that they are bad people just that child rearing is not a part of life here it seems. Most everyone has a house and car payment that is way over what they make, and so they work a bazillion hours to make the payments to keep up with the Jones cause they bought a new something and they have to have some thing better. So, the children get neglected cause mom, is too busy getting her nails done and dad is playing golf and Grandma is too far away and sister is busy with her cheerleading and volleyball and....

It isn't like it was when we were growing up and not only the community but our relatives were a part of our growing up process and well, If there is somewhere in this world where life is simple....let me know cause I want to go there....for real.

come on over hun!


you're most welcome!


hugs n kisses!

come on over hun!


you're most welcome!


hugs n kisses!