failing relatives

I'm part of a generation that has moved about, as well as my parents.
So our roots are kind of stretched long and thin.
I think I've failed to have connections to the relatives I have.
So that's why I want to stitch together a family of ancient ancestors.

I found someone that was very dear to me the other day on Ancestry.  But I don't wish to put his life here, because he is still living, and is no longer in  my life.  And I really don't know much about his life or his family either.  He influenced me greatly for a while, and is now gone from my existence except as a fond memory.

I am amazed at how little I knew about the people I was related to in my parent's generation, or even the cousins of my own generation.  I don't even have their children's names, more often than not.  And now they are grown and I have no idea of their children's children's names.

So I confess to feeling like I'm fabricating relatives to replace the ones that I really have, but have lost touch with.

Maybe this is a sign of aging, to want some fabric that includes my own life woven with others.  Up till recently I was happy with friends to be that cloth of my life.  Mmm, they are certainly interesting, but I listen to them tell stories about their families, and I have none to share.