Family
I have two daughters, 25 and 27. My youngest calls me a couple times a week, although we text more frequently. She asked me one day if I minded that we don’t talk daily, especially because my older one calls me multiple times a day. I thought about it for a few minutes.
I talk to my own mom daily. We do a morning check in—how we are, what are plans are, etc. My plans usually revolve around my writing. Hers, around her social life and doctors’ appointments.
My oldest daughter calls me on the way to and from work. Again, I hear about her day, she hears about mine, and it helps her pass the time while driving. We also discuss wedding plans, since hers is now four months away—eek!
But my youngest calls me once or twice a week, usually on her walk to or from work. She fills me in on everything that’s been going on in her life in minute detail. We hash out problems, cheer on things that went well, and keep up with her schedule.
So after thinking about it for a minute, my answer was, “No, I don’t mind.” It’s not the quantity, but the quality. I know she thinks about me just as often as my older one does, even if she doesn’t call as often. We talk about important things. I know as much about her life as I do her sister’s, and as I do my mother’s (my dad’s too, who is always in the background but isn’t really a phone person). Our family is close, and the number of phone calls isn’t going to change that.
Family always plays an important part in my books, as well. I love incorporating meddlesome grandmas, difficult parents, competitive siblings, or even friends who are like family in my stories. The dynamic between my heroes, heroines and their families add an additional level of complication and conflict, even if they get along well. And the way my heroes and heroines either treat their family or heal themselves adds an additional dimension to their characters.
So tell me, what types of family dynamics do you enjoy reading about in books—inter-generational? Parent-child? Sibling? Found family? I’d love to hear.