Wider family contact / relations

[Longsight2019]

Just some quiet thoughts to myself today whilst driving, which prompted me to post this (not whilst driving 😆)

We both work and have two infant junior school age children.

In the wider family we have both sets of grandparents in reasonable health, siblings without their own children, and unmarried uncles who are retired and therefore not without spare time.

It surprises me that we barely see any of them despite living in the same large town. All drive.

Unless we make specific plans to host, we don’t get invited anywhere. Our kids aren’t unruly and when they see them they always seem to enjoy the catch up, but it’s just so infrequent that it feels like we are all missing opportunities to spend time with one another before people really begin to age and have health problems.

I’ve no issue with arranging things, but it’s the lack of appetite for anyone to do anything that leaves me feeling baffled.

How do your sisters/brother/parents/uncles interact with you? Do they appear to give a shit?

At this rate we are lucky if we see most of the above people more than 4 times a year, some maybe even once.

We don't see much of the grandparents on either side - both live hours away. That being said, regardless of distance, we are the ones who make the effort in general to arrange visits and it is generally us visiting them. Sister in law for example has visited us once in two years. It is draining and has felt quite hurtful at times. We get little to no support either.