Yeah!!! All of my grandmother’s siblings had kids (and grandkids!) except for one of her sisters, who joined a religious order. Yet she provides an extremely important function within our family. One could argue she does more caring than any of her childbearing siblings. She provides a wealth of spiritual council, introduces everyone to new people and ways of thinking, and connects us to the larger community at large. She is able to spend her time thinking about things like god and social justice because she made the choice not to have children. And she is universally adored by all her family members. The point of family and relationships is that different people provide different functions.
i love this story, thanks for sharing -- and yes! so many ways to participate in this whole care thing...and it is so important to honor people like your aunt for the role they play. they should be celebrated, not minimized....
Yeah!!! All of my grandmother’s siblings had kids (and grandkids!) except for one of her sisters, who joined a religious order. Yet she provides an extremely important function within our family. One could argue she does more caring than any of her childbearing siblings. She provides a wealth of spiritual council, introduces everyone to new people and ways of thinking, and connects us to the larger community at large. She is able to spend her time thinking about things like god and social justice because she made the choice not to have children. And she is universally adored by all her family members. The point of family and relationships is that different people provide different functions.
i love this story, thanks for sharing -- and yes! so many ways to participate in this whole care thing...and it is so important to honor people like your aunt for the role they play. they should be celebrated, not minimized....