the amazing gift of having nieces and nephews

I have so much joy today because today my niece accepted me as her friend.  Why has it touched my heart  as you guys know I'm divorced i was married for a very long time.  In my marriage i was blessed to be part of a good family.  Brother in- laws that have known me since i was nineteen .  We shared weddings, family gatherings, births of our children, the loss of family, illness,many cook outs, times at the lake and of course holidays.  During these years i have been blessed with many nieces and nephews that i have held in my arms as tiny babies changed there diapers.  I could say i have been in there life i saw them walk, say there first word, when they went to school for the first time. memories after memories of being in there life.  Then divorced the grief and loss of a marriage ending the truth of how the marriage was .  The pain and grief that your children have after the loss of there parents marriage ending .  Then  the entire family  loss and grief of someone they have had in there life, some there entire life are gone.   no good bye just family saying there getting divorced things will be different.  In most families its acting as if that person was never in there life.  But how can that be done when those two people had children there pictures of them as a family and memories that don't leave.  I can say divorce sucks in all counts the ache and pain of having to give up your other family hurts deeply.  Then the hardest is not getting to be around your nieces and nephews.  But today is amazing because again im truly blessed because many of my ex's family even though its face book i'm apart of my nieces and nephews lives.  I missed two years of there lives so many things happened.  What i want to say yes its true blood is thicker then water.  But my ex's brothers and there families have a special place in my heart.  My sister in-laws are amazing women they know me and I'm honored that they think out of the box and allow me to still be in there children's lives via  facebook.  who would think that would also help aunts and uncles be apart of there nieces and nephews lives..  Im blessed to say i have wonderful aunts,uncles ,great aunts, great uncles that via facebook we stay in contact.  These special people have been in my life since i was child my entire life .  I like when i can email a Tia (aunt) and for guidance or a prayer or special story.  The same with my uncles.  I love when my nephew will say hi and says he misses a fav dish.  Today my niece wow  I missed two years of her life and it feels like a life time.  Hug your family often, its better then never, often can change the world. A hug can bring a smile or a fond memory.  Because if you ever have to be apart two years or longer you know there hug and how felt.  I'm 42 I can remember my great grandmothers hugs and smell of love .  My grandparents the same way these people are gone but when i hug my aunt or uncle for sec i feel there hug.  fyi i love my entire family.