Graham
It's a sad fact that, because of the far flung nature of families today,
funerals are often the only times when a "get together" happens. I
remember reflecting at both Mum's recent one, and Dad's four years ago,
that they would have loved this gathering of the clan. Speaking for
myself, I remain pretty anti-social and only feel comfortable in small
scale gatherings.
Another grandchild in prospect eh? you'll start to have difficulties
remembering all of their names if this keeps up. I have never really
come to grips with being a father, leave alone the prospect of becoming a
grandfather, so it's just as well that Andrew seems not to have any
leanings in that direction at present.
On the parents topic, I reckon that we had it made, both yours
and mine were totally committed to the job in a way that seems rare
these days. This, I think, is mainly because the structure of society
has changed massively in those two generations and the need for
practically all mothers to work today is a major additional factor. As I
think I have said here before, we learned so much from our parents just
being around them, whereas today few people seem to indulge in the
major practical projects that our parents undertook and the opportunity
is lost. Not that it was all plain sailing, I'm often reminded of the
quote (probably a misquote, of Mark Twain I think) " When I was 16 I
thought my father was an idiot, by the time I'd reached 21 I was
surprised what the old fool had learnt over the last 5 years," which
summed up some of my relationship with my dad in my later teenage years
When it came to my turn to practice the black art of fatherhood,
I found the almost overnight change of our son from sunny chatterbox to
a moody "Kevin," when he went to his secondary school, very difficult
to come to terms with. Later on I got to re-visit the above quotation a
few times too, but this time with the roles reversed.
Stay away from the edge.
Don.
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