Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for May 27, 2011

Families are becoming fewer…as real families. Sad.

Andy speaks with straight tongue!

@EarlWash: who decides what a “real family” is? Does it have to be Mom, dad, 2.5 kids and a dog? What makes a family is the love, compassion, support and understanding that’s in it, regardless of who its members are. And that is the point with Andy’s parents – they aren’t there for him. Unlike his “unreal” family, made of his uncle, aunt and cousins.

@Florea: I knew what @EarlWash meant.

What is sad what children grew up with whether with abusive mom or dad. For me we are a traditional family. What a great subject Ms. Eliot’s has chosen.

My grandfather was raised by his aunt and uncle because he kept running away from home and going to their house. I have no idea why he did that, but I’m guessing there was something wrong with his “real” family. I’m glad that he had a non-traditional family for him to go to, and I realize that “traditional” families are more typical of a 50’s sitcom than they are in REAL life.While I do think that there should be more of an effort to have married parents (who try to stay married), I also recognize that there are people who should not be raising children, people who do not want their children, etc, and in those cases I’m happy for non-traditional families.

I am one who does not wish children i was raised in “traditional” family & it was BAD. I was adopted by my Aunt & uncle & she was an abuser.

And who molested his children. Sad but true.

Andy really speaks from the heart in the final panel. On a more positve note there is an old Irish proverb that states: every child is tied to its mother’s heart by a separate string.

If you’re not Family to every one, you’re Family to no one.

I tried very hard to be the mom on Donna Reed and others of the time. By my 9th anniv I knew I could not keep it up with him, just had to put in the time until all 4 were old enough so I could work (and had the ligation long before then- 4 in 5 years and he would not let “his wife” go out to work. His salary was meager for the 6 of us (I made more my 1st year of working as a drafter).

Let’s see the kid parents. That would liven up the strip.

So who are Andy’s parents anyway? Joan & Val’s brother or sister or Wally’s?

Andy gave the same answer to Alix’s question as Holly: me.