The Card Family

I don't want to be a card family.  You know, the kind of family that only communicates through holiday cards.  I understand that this is a big world and even a big country so it can be difficult to stay in touch with family.  But, that doesn't mean I have to like it!

I just found out that my Great Aunt Nancy passed away last month.  LAST MONTH!  How did I find out?  My mom sent a Thanksgiving card to her (her Aunt) and one of Aunt Nancy's kids (my mom's cousin) wrote her back informing her that Aunt Nancy had passed away in October due to illness.  I know that I don't have super close relationships with all of my neices & nephews, but I hope that we don't just become card relatives some day.

The dad that I grew up with became a card relative.  He was the only dad I knew from the time I was 2 or 3.  First, he and my mom divorced when I was 13 and he made a new family.  Then, when I moved away, we only spoke on the phone when I called and would exchange Christmas cards.  Then, one year, I sent a card, but didn't get one from them.  So, the next year, I just didn't bother sending one and of course, since I stopped calling, there are no phone calls either.  I used to call his daughter, my sister, every year on her birthday.  Sometimes, I would have to leave a message, but get no return call.  So, I stopped calling her too.  A card family is just the next step in having no family.

Friends are supposed to come and go and family is supposed to be forever.  So, I think after this incident, I will make a better effort to keep my family from becoming a card family.  As it is now, we mostly only see local family at special events and holidays.  I don't like this at all.  I have expressed these feelings and we always say we will fix it.  But, somehow, it doesn't get fixed.  I guess as long as we keep wanting to try, that is better than giving up completely.