x

r .

O

Dad, Dr.
Nathan. Bloch,
holds baby
Rosalyn in full
view of Aunt
Marci and
Uncle Alan.

DEBBIE FEIT
Special to The Jewish News

When sisters become aunts
and
brothers become uncles,
bonds strengthen
and babies reap the benefits.

D

espite the fact that my sis-
ter, Stacy, has a husband, a
career and a mortgage, I've
always thought of her as 14
years old. I can't help it. I have a hard
enough time thinking of myself as an
adult, let alone thinking of my
younger sister as one.
And then my niece was born.
Now Stacy talks about Jordan's sleep
patterns, day care arrangements and
giant, stuffed, singing Elmo. She's

Debbie Feit is a freelance writer from
Farmington Hills.

1/23
1998

106

someone's mother now, and it's a
thought I find very weird.
Not that Jordan's arrival has really
changed my relationship with Stacy.
But we talk and see each other more
often than we used to, and while we
still go shopping together, Jordan's the
one now who ends up with all the cute
outfits.
Most of the aunts and uncles I
spoke with had similar experiences;
they felt their relationship with their
sibling didn't change significantly after
the birth of their nieces and nephews.
Many said they felt closer to their sib-
ling.
he birth of her nieces "made my
relationship with my brother a lot clos-

T