The joy you got from interacting with your niece and grand-nephew came through in your writing, and it was thrilling to me. I guess that’s what people do. They glom onto some part of another’s writing with a wave of emotion. I just warmed to it so much because of my own experience of feeling so much good with regard to these same family lately.

I have a stepson, but I don’t have my own children. On the other hand, I raised my youngest brother and my sister during their teen years. For this reason, my niece and my nephews are like a blend of my children/grandchildren to me. I don’t know. I just know I seem to feel an affection for them that was absent from my relationship with my aunts and uncles, save one.

For example, my husband drives me 3.5 hours once a week to see my nephew’s Little League game. Well, actually, he just started a traveling baseball team. It just feels natural to be there for him. Thanks for helping think about my own family.