As I continue to study our family history, I recognize multiple splits along the road of life. People who were close often become less close in time for many, many reasons. Most of all this separation is caused by the natural events in life--people, close as children, then travel their own paths as they partner, have families, join organizations, work, and/or recreate. Life takes us down different paths.
As I look at all those paths people in my very big family have traveled, in general, few are better than others, and what stands tall in everyone's life is their relationships, times of joy, and the good they do for one another. Little else matters that much.
Sometimes comparing one life to another gets in the way, and when you take the long view of life, comparisons are rarely valuable. Instead, what matters is that you find the good in your own life, relationships, and actions. That's what makes life good for you and for those you love. Onward.