Do you wish you could find yourself another family?

[Temprano26]

We don't choose the family we are born into but at some point in your life haven't you wanted to find a new one? Is your family just a collection of individuals with no solidarity?

My uncle had a heart attack and when I heard the news it barely affected me because I see my uncle one Christmas every two years so I was never that connected to him. Last year my grandmother had to have surgery and my uncles came to the hospital to visit her. All I remember was my mother being irritated and stressed out after seeing her brothers there. Our "family" meets on holidays and I watch them eat. My uncles live in other states, my father lives in California, my sister in Austin, my other relatives scattered throughout Texas and my cousins in San Diego. I hardly even talk on the phone with my relatives to be honest.

When I was in Costa Rica, I lived for a week in this elderly woman's house. She spoke only Spanish but she treated us all like her children. I felt more family connection there than I ever did in the US.

[Renata]

My nuclear family is ok, but most of my extended relatives I don't care too much for. They're too judgemental. My parents had to struggle to be together & make a life for us due to all the judgmental people around them. We just had eachother really & that's how it should be. Relatives can make a mess of your life if you let them.

[Hero]

Same here. I just found out that one of my cousins has terminal cancer. It bummed me out, of course, but other than that it hasn't really affected me much. Most of all I'm annoyed about the expense and inconvenience I'll have to go through to attend his funeral. That may sound horrible, but it's been over 30 years since I've spoken with this guy, for Pete's sake. I'm not all that close to my nuclear family either. One of the many reasons I want to move abroad. My chances of building up a new and better family are much better in the Philippines.