The Importance of Keeping Extended Families Together

The attachments some enjoy with individuals outside the family circle are enough to carry them through life. Classmates and workmates become close friends and figurative family. There is a tendency to be closer to "strangers," than our own blood. Families rarely live in the same city, thus family dinners are no more, and annual reunions are a thing of the past. With the influx of people relocating to different parts of the country, and the passing of older ones, who were the nucleus of some families, many realize that family closeness is fading. We drift apart from that special cousin, and daily calls to grandparents become weekly chores.  



The relationship with our extended family should be stronger than our relationship with friends. People will forever come into, and leave our lives. Graduations, relocations, and employment changes may gradually erect a wall between friends. When feeling disconnected from close friends, it would be nice to rely on a cousin or aunt. Who are your second cousins? How many great aunts and uncles do you have? What are their children’s names? Many hope for a better relationship with their extended family, they just do not know how to achieve it.



Those who have hardly any dealings with their family can begin by jotting down names of relatives that live in their hometown. Be determined to call each person on that list and let them know you were thinking about them. Be honest. Make them aware that you hope to become better acquainted with their family. If a milestone was recently celebrated such as an anniversary or a child’s graduation, use the occasion as a conversation starter. Plan to visit the relative, or invite their family over for a cook-out.