If my family was a Star Trek BORG COLLECTIVE - I would be 11 of 15...

I was born at a very young age.

And I have 7 brothers and 7 sisters.

I am 11 of 15.

My Mom and Dad were devote Catholics. I think they read the scripture in Genesis that says something about being fruitful and multiplying and filling the earth - and they decided to take it seriously. Over the course of time a lot of babies were born. A lot of them. Their friends would stop by and offer advice, "George, Madeline, you should let other people participate. You know, I don't think you are expected to do this all by yourself! 10 kids is enough already!"

But was 10 enough?

That's something that troubled me for a while when I was about 9 years old, shortly after I learned how babies were made. What if my parents had stopped at 10 kids? What if they had listened to the naysayers and the Debbi Downers and had stopped at 10 kids? Where would I be? Would I even be? For a 9 year old boy - this is crisis inducing.

After trying to wrap my mind around that existential idea and wrestling with it for about - hmmm - 15 minutes - I realized that I was here, they had 11 - meaning ME - and frankly they should have stopped after me - but that's for another post...

The Collective worked this way: our family had a definite culture. The older kids took "care of" the younger ones. The younger kids had to live in the "reputations" of the older ones. Like getting to grade 10 and the teacher saying, "Your sister, 9 of 15, did really well in this class" - I was like... "Crap... she's the brainiac." Or this one - "You know 11 of 15, your brother 5 of 15 lettered in track and field. But you're so much shorter than he was." I hated that gym teacher.

There was a definite hierarchy in the Collective: at the top of the blockchain (because he was a blockhead and wore a chain around his neck) was 5 of 15. He would sit at the end of the supper table and critique the mannerisms of those who made up the rest of the collective who were lower than him in the hierarchy. A favourite of his was this, "11 of 15, that is so uncouth". And the all time great, "Hahaha, you all sound like the pigs in the barn - you're so uncouth".

I wouldn't trade my Collective for anything though.

As we have aged, the friendships between us have strengthened and deepened. Our conversations have become meaningful. We like each other. We love each other. Mom and Dad are in heaven now waiting for 14 of us to get there - 3 of 15 passed away a number of years ago. She was 58. Still miss her.

I was concerned that after Mom passed 3 years ago that we would experience family drift - but we have not.

If anything, our family has become closer. Something I would wish for everyone reading this.

Hope you like this.