Article October 9, 2000 Issue

Staying close to family

"We moved a lot, and our moves took us far from our family circle."

By Susan W. Thacher

A friend of mine lives in the same town as her childern and grandchildren. They all get together for Sunday dinner and for major holidays. She attends her grandchildren's school events and dance recitals. They even go shopping together. It's a close, loving relationship.

There was a time when I wished that my family's life could be just like that. As is the case with so many families, though, we moved a lot, and our moves took us far from our family circle. During most of their childhood, our sons saw their grandparents only once a year, and occasionally not even that often. Sometimes I grieved about this.

At one point, I felt so upset about my children's lack of contact with their relatives that I discussed the situation with a Christian Science practitioner. She said, "Your children cannot be deprived of anything they truly need."

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