That’s What Families Do

It was the week before Christmas when we loaded up the family station wagon and our family of nine minus one made our way from Newfoundland to Ottawa.  We weren’t going for Christmas, we were moving. 

Our family had fallen on tough times and on December 13, 1968 our family of nine minus one, descended (by invitation) on my aunt and her family. Who does that? Living in a three bedroom duplex house, family of 4 and you take in your sister’s clan of eight?  Who does that?  Family. 

We stayed with my aunt and her family for six months, until my parents were able to find jobs and a place of our own.  In the years that have followed we have done in kind for others.  That’s what families do; they take care of each other. 

Submitted By Ann McCarthy