Family...

Growing up in a family of 4 children, a niece of 7 aunts and uncles (plus their spouses) and their children, family was always around...for better and for worse. Sometimes you couldn't get away, okay you could never get away! It didn't even matter if it was a holiday or just a Tuesday. Someone was always in your business and telling you what you should do. As a teenager this was "like totally NOT cool, how could you tell (fill in all the names here) about THAT!!" Our family is in itself a phone chain. You are talking to ___ and by the time you get off the phone everyone knows! Slight gossip central, although no one will admit to it.

As I've gotten older I'm come to appreciate this craziness more. Couldn't really understand the look on people's faces when they ask what you did for Christmas and your response is, well the 50 of us hung out, ate 2 prime ribs (although I think Jordan ate 1/2 of one by himself), ect. Pretty normal. NOT NORMAL! WOW, is the standard response, you have that big of a family! Well, yeah, doesn't everybody? Nope, they are lucky to have 10-15 people over, on a good year. I think I've taken this for granted.

Although we have had our share of problems, heartache and fights. We've also had our share of happiness, love and comfort. I know that I have 50 people I can call that will be there before I ask, that will judge me, but will always love me (that's the Grandpa influence) and I can always count on. This was never more clear than the past few days. Although we were all at the hospital for something not so pleasant, there was laughter, there was love, there was family. I think Uncle Ian said it best, after meeting with the Hospice nurse, "our gift to Granny is that we are all here for her, and her gift to us is that we are all here for each other." how true is that?