Friday, February 27, 2009

how we're different

I have also realized, as childhood memories come back, that much of what comes to mind first involves how we were different from other families. I suppose all people define themselves in some way by what distinguishes them from others. But why would I still remember how the Swansons dried their dishes differently than we did?

Another way we always noted that we were different, and a good thing it was, is that other kids hated their siblings. I mean, all my friends routinely talked about how they hated their brothers and sisters, and they fought a lot, and they thought that was normal. I thought this was really strange, and also sad. Good sibling relations were highly promoted in my family. (And yes, we did suppress sibling rivalry, which sometimes came out anyway. That's for the next post.)

We took family vacations together. We ate dinner together. On Sunday nights, we got to eat in front of the TV on the card table and make crackers and cheese and other snacks--special weekly event, always together. We played games together. And the expectation was that we would love each other and like each other. I believe expectations can lead to reality quite often in parenting.

My 3 sibs and I are still close, and all of our children are close with their own sibs and their cousins, and I have to credit my parents big-time for this.

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