Family Times

I've just had several days with my youngest brother and his family – his wife and my niece and nephew, whom we don't see nearly enough of, owing to the fact that they live in Sussex.

Still, it reinforced to me how important family is. Meeting up with them and having time to talk and laugh, discuss and share views, was made all the better by some uncharacteristic sunshine which meant our time could be spent mostly on the beach.

Not having children ourselves, it's all the more important to keep track of theirs and hear what they've been up to, watch them grow from children, taking the first steps towards adulthood. Sometimes you see flashes of how they'll look as adults, notice eyes or noses that are their parents' characteristics, or the tilt of a chin that is just theirs.

One afternoon I was taken by my niece and nephew to a Maize Maze near here. It took 45 minutes to get out, but it was a great way of bonding, and as a result we all got a certificate and badge to say we are now official Pirates. I shall keep mine and smile at it, remember our family days with joy and squirrel them away for the rainy months of winter. When I think of our sunlit time together, I get a warm glow and family love surrounds me like a big hug.

I was talking to a friend who sadly rarely sees her sister and family. They live in London and the last time she saw her nephews was over a year ago. She was very upset, and over a glass of wine she said, “they're coming down to spend a week with some friends in Bude but say they're too busy to come and see us.” She took a gulp of wine and added, “I think it's something to do with my brother-in-law, though I don't know what I've done to upset them. My sister would never behave like that.”

I didn't know what to suggest, other than perhaps to ring her brother-in-law and talk to him. “I would but I'm afraid of making matters worse,” she said.

If you were in this situation, what would you do?