I left in early 1999 after 23 years in the Family, and one of the reasons was that my mother had had her larynx (voice box) removed and needed someone to live at least nearby her to help. The first few months, she put the kids and I up and they absolutely loved it, despite the fact that my Mom could no longer speak due to her surgery.
Unfortunately, Mom died about 1 1/2 years after we left the Family. The kids and I miss her very much. But I am grateful for the time they did have. I always fought to maintain contact with Mom all the years we were in the Family, even during the years when "policy" was against it, although it wasn't until the mid-nineties we were actually able to visit occasionally.
But we have other relatives around and we see them regularly and it's been quite a good experience. Of course, with my "system" relatives, it's (somewhat) similar to when we were in the Family- some family members I like and consider good influences on my kids, and some I don't. But that's normal.
One thing I have noticed- especially with my older (college student) kids who were basically raised in the Family- it is WAY important to them to have "flesh family", more than it is to me. And this includes each other- they are much closer to each other and consider brother-sister ties more important than it seems to me the average young person does. A good thing, I think.
Have others found this to be the case with their kids?
Laura