Big thing I didn’t fully understand: you’re joining another family.
Good point. How you get along with the spouse’s extended family can impact your marriage.
My dad told me that. When you get married you are in effect marrying the wife and her family. I got a good wife who came from a good family. Been married 32 years so far.
His family was small, he had grandparents, parents and siblings, but no aunts, uncles, cousins. I have oddles of all of those on both sides. Especially cousins. Shortly after we got married I had some surgery. Not serious but I did have to be in the hospital over night. I told him to send a email to the family letting them know I was doing ok.
He didn't because in his family you only sent a message if things had gone wrong. If you heard nothing then everything was all right.
Not the way things worked in my clan.
He had any number of calls and emails asking if things went well and I was ok.
He has learned to send the e-mail. :)
blech- i never considered my inlaws family. That was HIS family.