First there was Rachel. Then I went and married Kevin. Then Bill went and married Kristy. Then Bill and Kristy had Jack (in the yellow plaid). Then 6 months later, Kevin and I had Andy. Then 11 months later, Bill and Kristy had Lucy (the cute girl struggling with the headband). Then 3 years later, we went and had Paul (not pictured, because the little baby can't stay up long enough to attend a choir concert...sheesh). Then Rachel was no longer THE child or grandchild with all its special privilages.
Then Bill and Kristy began babysitting Andy when I needed. Then I started babysitting Jack and Lucy when they needed. Then one day Andy informed us all that since Rachel was his sister, and Jack was Rachel's brother, then that made Jack his brother. It was too cute to correct, so we let it stand. Now Paul gets thrown into the mix with the whole batch of them. And just the other day, Andy nearly pitched a fit because "it's not fair that Rachel gets to spend the night with Jack and Lucy but not me." And Bill and Kristy smiled and said of course he could. (But he didn't because Andy, being Andy, wasn't mentally prepared for such an occasion. Still, it was nice to to know it can happen.) And I've already demanded Jack and Lucy once a week this summer to keep Andy entertained.
And I don't care how odd people think this situation is. It works for us and I am happy to say that it is one of the "very right" things we 4 adults have done as parents.
AMEN. What great parents you four are!! My dad remarried after my folks split, to a woman many years his junior. She could not STAND the idea that he ever loved my mother, and stirred up trouble as much as she could. She refused to be in the same building as my mom, which made things very difficult at school plays, graduations and choir concerts. She finally insisted that my dad had to choose between her and his three children. He chose us.
ReplyDeleteFast forward to now. Dad has been remarried to a WONDERFUL woman, Mom is remarried to a WONDERFUL man. My bio parents are sincerely happy for each other's happiness. They all greet each other with kindness and courtesy, and all sat in one pew at my wedding and at my brother's wedding. If Dad and Step-mom are passing through my mom's town, they usually stop by for dinner. Mom thinks Step-mom is a really cool woman, and vice versa, and Dad and Step-dad can have long talks about woodworking.
I introduce my step-siblings as my brothers and sisters, because they ARE. Our family circle didn't splinter, it simply widened.
GOOD FOR YOU for being kind to one another. GOOD FOR YOU for being secure enough in your current marriages that none of the four of you are threatened by the ex-spouse. Your kind of generosity, thoughtfulness and maturity gives me HOPE for the world!
Sorry for going on and on, but you really touched me!