zRichi

Lordy!

I have very little family and find it shocking that there are those of you that would just abandon people you've known your whole life like that. The fact some of you think it is acceptable is deplorable and/or sad.

Just man up, say your goodbyes and start your new life with your hands cleansed of your old one. Not like some fugitive on the run.

Dave+Jules

We said our good byes about a month before we left, this was to avert a rolling wave of sobbing, blackmail inducing "deserting the UK messages" by some members of the family.

One thing I know is that there is no such thing as a normal family, we are all different and have different measures of normality so your view of abandonment is another families standard departure.

My family hardly ever call except for family events and / or christmas. Even then the telephone conversation will probably not last more than 3-5 minutes, 10 at a push. There is no sense that we are not happy with the way we are, we talk about family, and sometimes a little politics. We consider ourselves to be well balanced and independent.