A Big Clan is a blessing

We used to see each other almost every Sunday. My father’s six (6) siblings with their own children. Our family is a big one. We go to one church together, which was founded by our great grandfather. That's why the family is active in church. Most are choir members, some are involved in other church activities and groups. After church, we all go to one house and eat lunch together. We spend the whole afternoon till after dinner there. When we are all together, a house could easily be full of family members and laughter! We sometimes even put a table on the street! That's how it is in our neighborhood. We all had a happy childhood. Me and my cousins were very close. Almost every month, there is a birthday party for a family member. Sometimes, we had a get together every week, spending the day and late nights eating, the men drinking beer, watching tv, us - the kids - playing, sleeping siestas, watching movies, and many more things that we enjoy doing together.

Until one by one, my father and his siblings started to pass away. Each family getting bigger and bigger, One sibling of my dad transferred to the province, some left to work and live in the U.S., and the Middle East.

We all now have our own families. With each family getting bigger, the new generations are now starting to grow apart, no longer close with each other, like we used to, in our generation. I get lonely sometimes. As much as I want to spend some time with my whole, extended family again, we all have grown apart, live our own busy lives. We seldom see each other any more.

Our weekly get-togethers has been reduced to once, or twice a year, How I wish we could be the same again. But, I guess, this comes inevitably as time goes by. I really miss my cousins. I'm sure they also miss our get-togethers. This is the cycle of life, I guess. At least, I am so blessed to have experienced this kind of bond that we had with my big clan... :)