Family funerals

[Tink]

I attended my aunts funeral today and as often happens, saw relatives there that I hadn't seen in many years. I wasn't particularly close to this aunt, so was able to sit back and "people watch" these relative strangers who share my dna.

I take very strongly after my fathers side of the family, and this was my Moms side. They've been scattered around the upper midwest for many years, so we've had little contact with most of them. I've always felt very connected with my dads family, as I've been around them a lot more.

This got me wondering... do you favor one side of your parentage more than the other? Are you more tightly knit with one side than the other?

[Janet]

My condolences to you on the passing of your Aunt, Tink. Awful thing about getting older is losing family members.

We were never close to either side. I guess if I had to pick, my Mom was a little closer to her two brothers, but not real close. All grandparents were gone when I was little and don't remember them at all. Was never close to aunts or uncles. Now they are all gone. All I have left besides my husband and son are my Mom and two brothers. That's it. On Dad's side, they are all gone.

[Gina]

Tink, My sympathy to you for the passing of your aunt. As to answer your question my mom came from a large family. She was youngest of 9 but I only knew one aunt one of her older sisters. My grandparents died on both sides before I was born, I would say I am closer to my fathers side of the family, I knew my aunt and uncle well, they are deceased and to this day I am close with my cousins their children.

[judy]

Dear Tink,

I'm sorry about your aunt's passing.

I favor my Dad's side. We have the same underlying nature, if you know what I mean.
We're just all so alike in our ways, our likes and dislikes and in lots of other ways. It's kind of unusual. We laugh about it, and just totally get each other.

I was very close to my Mom's side when she and her sister were alive. I'm not in touch with my cousins anymore. It's a shame. We were like brothers and sisters.

[DianaB]

Tink, I too, am sorry for your aunt's passing. It seems like you've lost a lot of people in your family in the last year.

To answer your question, I'm closer to my Mom's side of the family. My Dad had one brother and for reasons that would take to long to go into we're not very close to him or his family. On the other hand my Mother''s side of the family are Christians and soooo much fun to be around. My Mother is the second of 6 girls and the first to have a child (me). There's only 7 years between me and my youngest aunt! Three of my aunts and I are very close and I get along really well with the others, we just don't live as close. We love to shop for the same things and have a blast being together. I try to go and see my youngest aunt several times a year because she is so much fun to be with.

My husband's family is pretty large in itself and we do a lot with his Mother's family, which is huge! They're a hard family to get along with but I try. I actually like my father-in-law's family better. They're not as opinionated and easier to get along with but we hardly see them.