Family - Do we have our priorities right?

[Lesanne]

  I have only ever had one cousin, he was older, away at sea and lived 100 miles away. It was a treat to go visit my cousin.
                          We still only meet once in a blue moon.
I feel I see more of "the ancestors" than I do living family, which in total, including cousin, is 4.   

[CarolBurns]

I know many of the reasons involved in the estrangment of my living cousins and perhaps because the as yet unknown relations  carry none of this baggage there is a greater degree of interest in them. (/quote)

(quote author=Falkryn link=topic=173606.msg829787#msg829787 date=1154813426)Or perhaps it's just that part of us that makes us hunt as we do that makes us curious to find out as much as we can plus when we meet others its generally because they too were searching and we then start off with a common interest

I have the same problem with many of my cousins - personal things that they have done to either my parents or my grandparents so that is one reason I have no contact with them except through Aunt's and Uncle's phone calls to my parents.

I think that is why we "bond" so quickly with new rellies - so much in common. If they aren't searching we will not find them unless they have a close friendship with new rellies

Carol

[Lainys]

In my case, many of my cousins live overseas and I have either never met them or met then a couple of times.

I am closer to my second/third cousins than my first ones!

Dolly

[kerryb]

I suppose it's true what they say about you can't choose your family and in some cases you are just never likely to be really good friends with them!!

It depends on so many things like do you have anything in common for a start, apart from family ties!!!

Kerry

[linmey]

Well, I am off next week on the train, with daughter, to stay with my third cousin once removed and really looking forward to it. We have met up on 3 previous occasions and of course chatted endlessly by phone and e mail.

Hope the weather is good.  Linda.

[kerryb]

Have a great time Linda and I hope you get some good weather!

Kerry

[wheeldon]

Have a good one Linda 

[linmey]

Thanks. I am really looking forward to it.

Linda.

[Bill749]

My wife often accused me of spending too much time with dead people - being more interested in them than the living!   

Since she has joined their ranks, my obsession has led me to locate, and visit, some of her living relatives in the USA that she was searching for over a number of years.   

Over the years I have also contacted, and in some cases met, several cousins in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, that I would never have found without this hobby, which she started about 25 years ago.

I do regret not having spent more time with her, though, but I had to work long hours and could only afford to retire when it was too late.   

Regards, Bill