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I was fortunate to grow up as part of three
families: one made up of my parents, younger sisters and myself;
one consisting of my motherĖs parents, grandmother, and three younger
brothers and sisters, just older than I; one comprised of my fatherĖs
parents, brothers and sisters, and cousins galore, my age and younger.
Being surrounded by so many relatives was
a lucky break for me. We all lived within thirty miles of each other,
and we visited one or the other set of grandparents almost every
weekend, my parents both being very devoted to their folks and siblings.
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ÏfamilyÓ means a large group of relatives to me, eccentric people,
funny people, colorful people, a hodge-podge of humanity to
recall with pleasure. |
When I began setting up my own new family, I was dismayed to learn
that my husband had decided that he wasnĖt ready for that responsibility.
But my son became my family, and an important part of my parentsĖ
lives, and I was able to build a feeling of family for him, even
though a partner didnĖt figure into it. Conventional mother, father,
children structures are not necessarily the only (nor the best)
arrangements for creating a feeling of family. ItĖs, the love and
loyalty, the support, and friendships that matters.
ÏGolden GirlsÓ was an a typical family
group that created a strong bond of love and respect among all the
members. That is the secret of the shows lasting success, even now
in the year 2001, fifteen years after its debut.
Family support- emotional, not financial-
can be the difference in success and failure in an individualĖs
life. ItĖs not impossible to succeed without it, but itĖs immeasurably
harder. I thank God for my good fortune in being born into a family
that loved me and cheered me on.
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