I was an only child, but then my parents resettled with different partners, and I am now one of six.
We're fortunate in my family because we really have three families: my brother, David, and me; the two boys, Cooper and Marston, from my dad's second marriage; and my dad's wife, Crystal.
Second marriages can and do create 'real' families.
The family is changing, not disappearing. We have to broaden our understanding of it, look for the new metaphors.
I don't think of my life as having two marriages; I think of it as a continuum.
I grew up with great relationships with my stepparents.
Step-parenting and being a step-sibling presents a lot of exciting opportunities. When families break up and re-form, there may be less order, less certainty, and a bit more trauma involved, but kids can end up having half-a-dozen parent figures.
I don't have a regular happy family like most people. My parents are separated; my dad married someone else and so did my mom. All my siblings are from my parents' other marriages. So yes, it is complicated, and I don't like talking about it or explaining this to everybody. But all this doesn't stop us from being close to each other.
