I think the key word in there was seem. As in people looking back with rose-colored glasses, once they're past the immediate concerns of figuring out how to support themselves vs depending on parents, sorting out whatever emotional crap they've been left with, etc. Also once people start their own families, it suddenly becomes a lot more personal to defend them.
I've reached out to a few of the people outside my immediate family as well, and there are others that I'd be interested in connecting with if I can figure out how. I visited one of my grandmothers not long before she died, and that was really special to me. I'm glad I have it to remember her by, both of us connecting on our own terms, instead of only knowing her through my parents as an intermediary. There's an aunt I've been trading emails with, and two of my older cousins are really cool.
