It's a Tribe

At the weekend, Tom, Moonface & I visited Southampton for the 18th Birthday party for my youngest nephew, Toby. The upper picture is of Toby with his two brothers & Tom. Nearly all of Toby's extended family was there, including my parents and his other grandmother. Even my younger brother and his child bride attended, and we haven't seen them for years. The only person missing was Rio, my daughter.

When I was young it was rare to know children of divorced or single parents. Now it's very common and serial relationships are as normal as monogamy. From the age of four, one of my daughter's friends was known as "Jessie Two-mummies" since the girl had two mothers but no (current) father.

Toby's parents [my brother and his girlfriend] separated a couple of years ago but remain very close both geographicaly (?) and in friendship. The boys drift happily between their parents' houses, and both new families go away together. On Saturday night, Toby had the hired restaurant room decorated by his mother's new man; his father's new wife-to-be was there with one of her daughters.

We ate, we drank, we talked. We didn't argue - which is amazing for a set of relatives who don't see each other very often.