One of my latest blog writing prompts asked, "If you had been able to choose, would you rather have been an only child or part of a very large family?"
I would guess your answer would depend on what type of family you grew up in and what your experience with that family was. When I do an exercise to have people choose the things they value most, family is usually in their top 3 choices. That says to me that family has a central role in many people's lives and this could be an interesting query and discussion, so please join in.
A large family would be my choice because of the tight family unit I grew up in. My parents nurtured and celebrated family over everything. To this day they are among my biggest supporters. Do you know the saying blood is thicker than water? In our minds, blood was like molasses compared to H2O. I have a brother and sister, who along with my wife, are my best friends. I can be totally authentic around them, sharing my fears and darkest mistakes, and they will be there for me. My siblings support and nourish me, even with that negative knowledge.
My mother is the oldest of 10 children and they are not as close as my siblings and me. However, when something or someone is needed, they step up and support each other.
I would imagine, as an only child, I would make friends that are as close as family. Maybe if my brother or sister were mean or devious, I would have searched out love elsewhere. But the fact is, I didn't have to. So, it is hard for me to imagine life without siblings. It would be interesting to have 3 or 4 times as many and see if the love spreads, or would we form cliques because it is too hard to be transparent with that many?
What choice would you make, only child or large family, and why?
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