How important is your relationship with your relatives?

I completely agree. I got to spend a week with my niece (she’s 6) a few weeks ago. It was so great to see her again and just get to be the fun aunt with her.

I love my family a lot, even when we are at odd with one another. Family is everything to me, I would do anything for them.

I don’t have family. My family has all passed away except for a few cousin who I don’t know any more. My husband has a huge family. I hope they accept me because I think them as my family . I would do anything for them.

@Frenchfry You wrote: “I hope they accept me.” Is this a new relationship?

My relationship with my relatives is the most important of my life. I have a wonderful relationship with nearly every member of my extended family, with one, very sad exception.

It’s so sad, because that one relationship (daughter in law from hell) weighs on my happiness more than anything else in my life today.

I have a good relationship with my daughter. My sons are more distant lately. My parents hardly ever call and have little to say when I call. I love my grandchildren and never get too much time with them.

I’m not close with my extended family at all – probably a combination of my asperger’s and the one who does get me lives on the opposite coast. I don’t like being around little kids and get overwhelmed by too much noise. I get along more with my slightly older cousins but they all have jobs and are engaged/married/pregnant and I’m still finishing college so we aren’t in the same stage of life and aren’t very similar.

@zenele Well kinda. I have been married 6 months been together maybe alittle longer. I was told by one relative . I don’t seem his type . So that is why I said that. He told me to forget it. I can’t seem to.

@Frenchfry

Try not to let that very insensitive comment get to you.
What does that relative really know anyway.
Your husband married you and it seems he would know his ‘type’ better than the jackass relative that made such a thoughtless comment.

The stuff some people say, amazing!

There are only a few of us, so, yes they are important relationships.

We all lead busy lives, and spending quality time with my family is so very precious. We have holidays together and these times are so very special to me. Family are important.

I love my family. Unfortunately we are all far too hard headed to get along. Thank god for my nieces and nephew to bring us altogether.

Nonexistent after my mothers death in 2000. My extended family acts more like a corporate entity anyway; the only time I see relatives is at annual stockholder and board meetings. Meg and I made a major effort to take care of her family. Some are beyond help but we had some notable successes; Megs half-sister is now in medical school and her cousin just graduated from law school, all thanks to Meg.

I’d like us all to be a lot closer, emotionally speaking….Still I guess you can’t have everything! We all live in the same Town at least :-/

@Frenchfry, I would take “not his type” to be a good thing. Those relationships obviously didn’t work out, and he was choosing wrong before you.

My immediate family get on really well with my girlfriend. She is yet to meet my extended family though, even after being together nearly two years, but they tell me they already approve anyway.

What relatives? My immediate family I am lucky to see once every few years at a family reunion and are pure joy to be around but carries little relevance to my everyday life. My only local nephew is a spoiled narcissist who thanks to his parents does not know how to not be an ass. So for the most part I am off the hook having to be concerned about relationships with relatives except for my in-laws and I have little pink pills to take care of them.

My parents and oldest brother are dead. My other brother lives in USA, I can’t remember the last time we talked. He occasionally sends me political propaganda via e mail. I am in touch with one niece and her 2 daughters and another great niece and her mom who is the young widow of a nephew who died at age 40 from cancer. That’s about it, so nope family not too big a deal. Although my mate has a large family and we often spend time with them and that is nice.

If I had been closer to my family I would probably have had second thoughts about just selling out and moving to Australia. Since I love it here I would say it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

@Frenchfry, I agree with @Coloma and @BarnacleBill. I wasn’t my husbands type and we are coming up on 29 years together. Heck, people use to tell me that my husband wasn’t my type. But they were wrong. He is my type. He is honest an very loving. That is all I ever wanted and needed.
Some years ago, my father in-law came to visit with us for a while. He told my husband that he was happy that after all these years we are both still so good together. My point is that the proof is in the pudding. They will come around and appreciate that you make your husband happy and love you for it.
@zenele Family is very important to me. Wish they all lived closer. (Well maybe not all. LOL)

It’s very important to me. Blood is thicker than anything and I don’t ever want to fall out of my relatives or even familys lives. My son ex girlfriend is expecting a baby, and if it is my sons, then it’s coming to live with me, my son, and my daughter.

Damn, I just realised I didn’t actually answer the question.

My relationship with one side of the family is very important to me. They are great people to be around, and I know they would do anything for family. The other side of the family doesn’t really understand me and shows little potential to learn, so I hardly have a relationship with them.

@CynthiaLC That is so very thoughtful and kind of you…. does the mother of the child not want the baby when it is born?

Yes! I always get good reviews and have been voted favorite aunt many times! :D

I love spending time with my niece and nephew. They’re little bundles of joy – I have so much fun with them.
I’m not close with my immediate family, except for one brother and my mam. I’m happy to have those relationships at least – the other stuff doesn’t matter.

Must’ve struck a chord here. Great thread, jellies. Keep it up.

I lost my son 5 years ago and i enjoy having my nephews in my life. I take them places, act like a big kid around them…they are no replacement for my loss but just want to make sure they know how loved they are.

Family relationships are very important to me, but not to anyone else in my family.

My family consist of my son’s family, my mom, dad is deceased…love him.. and my brother. Love them dearly… oh, and one aunt and her children…and once had an uncle that was a good man as he is deceased. Loved them very much also.

the rest of them can take a long walk on a short pier!

My second daughter’s family is quite large but I never got to spend time with them being in another state. So it feels like , even though I like them very much, I’m not close to them. How can I say this; they are different kinds of people from me. Good people, all of them but I am more into less traditional interests. I feel they’re friendly but wish to keep me at a distance? I’m not out to take my daughter away from them; she is fully entrenched in their lives/culture. I could not do it if I tried.
My aunt who I never met died as did both parents and my sister. My sister’s family reconnected recently and the interest isn’t there for them as I was sure it would be. After all, I am their aunt.
My first daughter is disturbed to say the least. Her son has been the light of my life. I adore him. But now he is in puberty and has changed so much since Christmas its best if I keep my distance from both of them. Long, sad story.

none whatsoever, they leave me completely indifferent. i thought i was angry with them, but the truth is i am not anything with them and more comfortable and equable with out their company. i try to think of the crushed and trodden as my family, when i am in an unselfish mood.

Well, let’s see…my immediate family members all live with me…of my entire immediate family, only my mother, aunt and maternal grandmother are left (many of my family members have died)...I wouldn’t say we’re close but they’re close to my children…my sons bring them joy…they have always been judgmental of me…

My dad’s side gets together pretty frequently. My mom’s family lives upstate, and there’s always a lot of drama going on with them, so it’s pretty good we’ve got the distance between us. But I love my dad’s side, they’re so freakin cool. My dad and my uncles are the funniest people I know, incredibly smart, nerdy (Star Trek, LOTR, old-comic-books kind of nerdy.. my uncle used to be Editor-in-Chief of Marvel). My one aunt on that side is also great, she is single, successful, loves taking me and my brothers around NYC with her, and always gets us fantastic gifts at Christmas :D I am intent on keeping up our relationship.