Haley Robinson (halarobi@mars.utm.edu) from 10.100.8.196 at 10/23/01 11:10AM
comment
    I see no distinction between a "southern" family and a "northern" family. Family is whatever you make it - whatever you want it to be. I, who was born and raised in Tennessee, rarely talk to three of my four first cousins, and I can only name about four of my second cousins (on both sides combined). I wouldn't recognize a third cousin if I fell over it on the street. The idea of extended family couldn't be more foreign to me. One of my best friends, on the other hand, is from Michigan, and she is talking constantly about her aunts and uncles and cousins. She sees her family in Michigan more often than I see some of the members my "family" who live only an hour away. Each family is its own entity. There's no comparing families because every one is different.