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I was sitting at my computer entering some things in my family tree program and my 7 and 9 year old granddaughters were watching and wanted me to show where they were in the tree.
That in of itself takes several clicks since I have to go to my wife and her first husband who is deceased, then to their 2nd son but to his 3rd wife for the 7 year old and then over to the mother and her first husband for the 9 year old... They are an American family in the fullest sense, sisters, brothers, half and step sisters and brothers.
So the 7 year old asks "well who was Uncle Phil?" I replied that it wasn't Uncle Phil but it would have been Grandpa Phil. And I went on to explain that he was Grandmother's first husband, the father of their dad and his brother, Uncle Tim. I went on that he died of cancer and if he had not died he would be their grandfather.
"So you and he would both be our grandfathers?" "No" I said, "if he had not died I would never have married Grandmother and I would not be a member of this family at all."
They both looked panicked and replied, "But we LOVE you!"
It made me feel good to hear that and I tried to use it as a teachable moment that things can be very different if they happen differently, if people don't meet other people or do something different.
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