PARENTING May 17, 2004 Issue

Loving your nephews and nieces

By Lyle Young

My wife and I haven't felt called to become parents, but our siblings certainly have. At last count, we had 20 nieces and nephews.

Two vignettes from my role as uncle stand out. First, some two decades ago I remember being sent by my sister-in-law on a strange, new mission to buy diapers for nephew number one. More recently, I received a hug from this same nephew. When he went to embrace five-foot-nine me, because his shoulders are now higher than my head, he had either to hug thin air up at his altitude or stoop over and reach down. And he hadn't even put on his rollerblades yet! It's a good thing he likes me.

Actually, buying diapers and giving hugs are good ways for aunts and uncles to support brothers and sisters and their children. And I've found prayer to be helpful, too.