Friday, September 17, 2010

the thousand-mile disadvantage

My parents both had lots of brothers and sisters, and almost none of them lived more than a half-hour away from us. When they needed each other, they were nearby for each other.

Now families seem to be scattered all over the country or even all over the world, and people get used to relying on people other than family in times of emergency and crisis and they often grow away from each other emotionally.

My five siblings and I are still close -- except in distance. My brother-in-law John in New Jersey is right now going through all kinds of hell with pain from cancer plus surgeries and treatments, and it's hard to not be more immediately available to him and my sister Mary. It's a helpless feeling being far away at a time when I feel like I should be following my dad's example and being there for family, in person and not just in spirit.

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