[i]This is a true tale regarding a "family" that I know well from down under. The relationships were so complex and confusing that I put a silly rhyme together just for a bit of fun. If you can work it out, well done. [/i]


In todays extended families, we find some tricky things,
Simply, the results, that such an alliance brings!
We have an unusual example, one we wish to share,
Two families united by marriage; you'll find them everywhere!

Two families unite in marriage; now that's confusing enough,
But when your father marries your mother in law; that gets very tough!
For those upon the outside, who are simply looking in,
They find the whole thing ridiculous, and don't know where to begin!

Now, your husband becomes your stepbrother,
And his mother marries, the father of his wife, who now becomes, his stepfather!
All these people with "titles", who's entitled to what,
Stepping in and stepping out, who is in and who's not?

So what do you do when your father in law, is your father as well,
Your stepmother is your mother in law, now this is "show and tell"!
Then there are your children, now that is different altogether.
Their grandfather is their grandfather twice, and his wife becomes a grandmother!

If you think you are confused, bewildered and also befuddled,
I think you'll find it more so, as the story becomes unravelled!
The other grandmother, finds another mate, and duly, they married each other,
He becomes a step person too, and acquires the role of stepfather.

But while he's out in the "stepping" role, he's a step grandfather too,
Though you must be thoroughly, awfully, confused and wonder who said, "I do"!
It isn't a case of "I do or I don't", but a case of which one did!
Working it out, we award the prize, to the one with the highest bid!

So many inlaws, so many out laws, so many "steps" and others,
The trickiest part in all of this......is so many fathers and mothers!