A note on large families – something to think about

With my uncle’s passing, there are now only two children left from my great grandparents’ union. But there are innumerable first and second cousins and we have have a support system of sorts between us as well. In fact, I just sent an e-mail out to the cousins asking them to share their “Uncle Ernie” stories as we remember the man and his life today.

Last year, I took quite a bit of criticism for openly voicing reservations when a blogger publicly announced on her blog that that she was purposely not having any more children. I suggested that perhaps this might not be the wisest course of action for many reasons. I think when people make these types of decisions, they don’t often look more than a year or two down the road. With the passing of my uncle, my family has the unique opportunity to take a much deeper look back – about 100 years or so!

My great grandparents went to upper Michigan to farm. When they arrived they did not have a place to live and so they lived out of the train box car for a time with two toddlers! They most certainly had good reason I suppose to not want any more children but they ended up having eight more! And while I know they suffered many hardships, they had wonderful family times as well. While I was growing up, I sat quietly through many a reunion listening to my aunts and uncles tell their stories of growing up on a farm and the many adventures they had together. Those hardships drew them together and gave them an even closer bond.

And because my great grandparents were generous, they were blessed with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who went on to become very fine people, good folks, who live all over the United States. Most of us know of our grandparent’s homestead. We know what connects us, and the stories about Uncle Calvin, Uncle Sam, Aunt Mary, Aunt Opal, Uncle Ernie and so on connects us to that early time and place.

I’m sure in the coming weeks, my cousins will receive many cards, letters and e-mails from cousins that she may not even remember. They will hear and read stories about her dad she didn’t even know. They will share memories, laughter and tears with their extended kin folk. Because that’s what siblings and cousins are supposed to do. We support each other.

And what a wondrous blessing this is! How fortunate we are that grandparents weren’t afraid to be blessed with the gift of many children.

This Thanksgiving especially, we will give thanks for the wonderful man who was Uncle Ernie. We will be thanking for having known him and having shared even a part of is long life. And I will tell my own kids about the young couple with nothing, who took two babies up to Michigan to find prosperity, and when their plans didn’t work out for them, they made their own.

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