h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My mum & I were talking about my sister-in-law's family the other day, about how detatched and unconcerned they seem about her and the kids. Mum said they just seemed like such a strange family and I replied that maybe we were the strange ones as we got on so well. We tend to socialise mainly together and only have a few friends outside the family circle. We genuinely enjoy being together.

Deb

[Amy P]

Z, thank you for understanding. Doctors have backgrounds like that, teachers too. Perhaps it only surprises those without personal experience. I'm from a generation where social services didn't get involved and, as you say, if it had been likely that they would, then even more would have been kept secret. The police were called many times - too many times. But no one spoke to us (I have 2 brothers) until we were much older. Perhaps that's why I feel able to compartmentalise that part of my life and not let it interfere with who I am now. I developed a powerful inner resilience, instead of expecting it to have come from external agencies, and I suspect you have that too.

Thank you deb, I too, genuinely enjoy the company of my girls and I can't imagine being anything other than good friends with them. So, having experienced both ways I much prefer the closeness of my relationship with my daughters than the detached distance I have with my own mother. Time will tell what kind of mothers Sunshine and Moonlight will become since they too come from a fragmented family, but they seem to have turned out well, so I have high hopes.

"Especially, do not feign affection."

Not a kitten any more, but I share my house with a beautiful ginger cat, Pumpkin . Unusual for gingers, she's female. She's 7 now, and a reminder too of the passing years. When Sunshine left home to go to uni at 18 and Moonlight moped about because she'd lost her companion, we got a kitten. This filled a sister sized gap for the next 3 years, but by the time Moonlight herself went to uni Pumpkin had already decided that she belonged to me anyway. Or I belonged to her. She's been my companion for the last 4 years.

Over the past week I've watched Sunshine and Pumpkin get to know each other, and they already seem like old friends. I hardly see the cat, she's usually curled up somewhere near Sunshine, or on her bed instead of mine. When Sunshine has finished her course in 4 weeks time, and returns to her own house and her own cats, I know I'll miss her. And once again the cat will fill a Sunshine shaped gap.

[Amy P]