From Here to There...Keeping Family Close Across the Globe

Kids are the beginning of the end of the family core. This is good in every sense but is progressively painful. Family can be viewed as a cycle of life, where when a man and woman unite, if given the gift of children, they now have the opportunity to have an extension of themselves to enjoy life. It is indeed a gift; kids bring joy to our lives in ways we never imagined when single or newlyweds.

But once they grow older, they are likely—and supposed—to go and create families of their own. They maintain their bond, to some extent, with their respective individual families but develop a new bond. And the cycle repeats with their children, now your grandchildren.

To keep things more complicated, add geography and in-laws. If you choose well, you will likely gain amazing in-laws—not a given but very possible. Geography, however, is unpredictable. In a globalized world like the one we live in today, you could end up with four children in four different countries. Keeping that family bond requires a lot of planning, commitment, and effort, especially once they get married and have children of their own.

An average family with three children could end up with about 28 close relatives and 8 possible locations to visit during holidays. Things can, and will, be complicated. How many close relative you have and how many places you could visit?