My parents are about to get their first great-grandchild. Well, in a few more months that is. And technically not really. It's complicated, as so many families are these days.
Linnea is my brother-in-law's child from his first marriage. One of two kids in fact. They have been part of our family since my sister married their father almost 20 years ago. Although my sister never formally adopted them and they are not then legally related, they are family in all the ways that count.
Linnea married Jason a few years back. She couldn't have done a better job. And now they are going to be parents and give my parents a small child to dote on. Finally.
You see, none of my parents' children ever had children. So Chris' kids became the only grandkids for my parents. Of course, we would have loved them anyway - they are awesome people - but since they are the only members of that generation, that makes them all the more special. And now there will be another generation.
The funny thing is that Linnea and Jason's child will be the same generation as my cousin Steve's kid. It's a little confusing. Basically my dad is the oldest in his family. Steve's mom is the youngest. Chris is a few years older than my sister and had his kids reasonably young. As a consequence, my father's nephew, my cousin, ended up in the same generation as Chris' oldest child. Weird how that happens.
Steve and his wife Tamorah had their first child about a year ago. Linnea and Jason's child is due early next year. So they will be about 16 months apart. That generational gap just jumped.
But the thing is, really, these generations are not related at all. My cousin's child is not related to my stepniece's child by blood no matter how you slice it. Even if they will grow up going to family functions together.
Like I said, technically that's all true. But then there's love. And how family is really defined. And in that world - the one that really counts- these two children will be related.
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