Welcome

What makes us who we are? The nature vs. nurture debate has been going on for centuries and there is still no definitive answer. That is, unless you’ve chosen one side of the debate and won’t listen to what anyone on the other side has to say. This blog is not about that debate. No, it is about family.

I am the way I am because of the family I grew up in. I grew up in a family of 9 kids, 7 boys and 2 girls. We came in bunches; 3 kids approximately a year apart, a break of a few years, 3 kids approximately a year apart, a break of a few years and 3 more kids approximately a year apart. All this happened in 15 years. My poor mother!

Naturally, we were forever grouped together as “The 3 older ones”, “The 3 middle ones” and “The 3 little ones”. As the 8th out of 9, my older siblings still say to this day that I’m one of “The 3 spoiled ones”. Spoiled or not (most definitely NOT!), I loved growing up in a big family. There was always something to do, something going on and someone to hang with. The positives far outweighed the negative.

Sure, I didn’t have much materially growing up, but as my Dad used to frequently say, we always had “a roof over our heads, food on the table and clothes on our backs”. Above all, we knew that we were loved. Not to sound like a credit card commercial, but you can’t put a price on that. I wouldn’t trade all the toys, all the clothes, all the stuff my friends had for the family life that I had.

Since I was a kid I also liked to write, from silly stories about car driving monkeys and a character that needed help cutting his petrified hair to game summaries of the local hockey and baseball teams. I even got my own little typewriter for Christmas when I was in fourth grade! Well, actually, I had to share it with my younger brother, but he never used it. I either wanted to be a baseball player or a sportswriter (“Sorry, dear. I have to go to the game. It is my job!”).

My hope is that these postings will bring both of these aspects together. I have a deep love for family and a deep desire to write. So come back each week as I relate things that happen in my life to family – the one I grew up in and the one I have now. If you grew up in a large family, you’ll probably be able to relate; if you didn’t, maybe you’ll get a new perspective. Either way, we’ll share a few laughs.