Human relationships are what make life great! They can be sources of joy, pleasure, inspiration, anguish and sorrow.

I’ve thought a lot about what makes family relationships special. I don’t have an answer that satisfies me. I am perplexed by feelings of fondness for family members for whom I would probably not care if we didn’t have common ancestry. From where do those feelings come?

I love our Danler family. Kirsten and I “get” each other. We have forged a bond that is very tight. I need her. I feel in many ways like we complete each other. The girls are also very important to me and are a source of tremendous happiness and satisfaction. We laugh and play and cry together. We lean on each other.

Like any relationship, bonding with family takes time and effort and mutual desire. It isn’t automatic; it won’t happen by itself. There are no guarantees.