I noticed that people who have their own kids, don't mention their nephews and nieces a lot. When they do, they usually mentioned them as playing buddies for their own children.
For childless people nephews and nieces are important. They are the closest to our genes in the next generation.
One thing that was on my mind lately and it was never said before. So I will say it.
If you are a childless woman and you have a sister that has her own children - then you really have nieces and nephews.
But if you have only a brother who has his own children - you really don't have nieces and nephews. Since those children belong much more to their mother's family then in yours.
How I looked forward to all the fun things I will do with my nieces one day (like teaching them English, reading stories, going to the zoo)! My younger niece is already 4 and I didn't have her in her entire life not even for five minutes. My older niece is 8 and basically I can have her only once per year, for one afternoon, to visit Santa Claus carnival. All the other times I asked to have them, their mother found some kind of excuse why not. So I stopped asking.
Who won? Not me. And certainly not the girls.
Oh Klara, I'm so sorry I missed this. You're right. You've missed out. So have the girls. And your sister-in-law too, because you could be such a support, an ally, to her. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThe niece I have been closest to is my husband's brother's daughter. We have no blood ties at all. She felt more at home with me and her NZ roots, but her parents pushed her to be with her mother's family, and country, where - for a long time - she was never comfortable.