In the context of human society, a
family is affiliated by blood, marriage, or cohabitation. Members of the immediate
family include spouses, parents, brothers, sisters, sons and/or daughters. Members of the extended
family include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and/or brothers or sisters-in-law.
Personally, I consider the people of ABC Wednesday to be members of my
family! I seem to "see" or "hear" from these people more regularly and more often than some of my immediate
family. And we usually have similar interests even if we live thousands of miles away
from each other in different countries or even on different continents. Sometimes I "click" with one or another contributor and really look forward to their contributions each week. And there have been times when I've actually met someone I "met" here at ABCW.
For example, in 2012, I met Denise Nesbitt, the creator of ABCW when I was travelling in England. As I was visiting her area, she invited my friend and me
for tea and a visit. We had a wonderful time as she showed us around her village in North Yorkshire. And through Denise, I met a woman named Jill who has become a very dear
friend. I'll be visiting her again this summer when we take in Robin Hood's Bay, Scarborough, and York along with the pub that was
filmed in the TV series "Heartbeat" where her son now bartends. I'll be sure to get my photo taken there!
I consider these
friends whom I met through blogging to be
family, also. There's Jane in Newport, Wales and Liz in Swansea, Wales, both of whom have visited me here in my home. There's Di in Liverpool, Anne in Oxford, Sally
from Kings Lynn and Ellie in Cambridge - all in England. There are others who live not too
far away, but too
far for a quick visit.
There are also my long-time
friends from years past that I consider
family. Cathy, Eileen, Irene, Sheila (who hails from Ireland) and Lynne, with whom I go out to dinner to celebrate each others' birthdays. There's also Josie, who lives in Vancouver, so I only get to see her occasionally. But, because my own immediate
family is small, these are the people I choose to consider my extended
family. I thank God that He has personally chosen these good friends to share my life with and to whom I can turn in times of joy or crisis.
So always remember this:
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