Family

I am sitting in my big comfy chair, my hubby is in his recliner and our exchange student is sitting on the sofa. The Razorbacks are on and we are all on computers. The dog is going from person to person to see who has food. There is not a lot being said other than the occasional GO but it is comfortable and it feels good. This is my family. I am loving this.

I probably have said this before or talked about it before but this is family. I have come to realize that family is more than a bunch of people who are related by blood or marriage. I have an awesome family. I grew up around the corner from my dad's parents. I thought every person in America lived around the corner from their grandparents. My idea of family was altered when my parents divorced. Then it was altered again when I moved in with my dad after my mom moved out of state a year later.

My idea of family has been changing ever since. People have moved in and out of my life as need them. My dad died four months after I got married. When I need a dad God has always provided me one. He has also provided me with a mom or maybe a series of moms when I have needed them. It is awesome to sit here and think of how God provided for me just when I needed it. Right now there is a wonderful woman at church who loves me and encourages me and I love her (you know who you are S.A.) She is the woman that God has given me for this season of my life. I am truly blessed.

I also love being an aunt. Nieces and nephews are great, you can do fun stuff with them, feed them lots of sugar then take them home. The problem is that my closest ones live two hours away from me. God has given me nieces and nephews to do fun things with. Their parents even let me sugar them up and everything.

And now we are parents. Sort of, kind of. We have an exchange student living with us. I told a friend that I knew I would love him and have feelings for him but I thought it would be more like how I feel about my nephew. I didn't know that I would fall in love with him. That his wants would be greater than my needs. We tease each other and I think he is just like me or when he and hubby are both shaking their legs he is just like hubby,

When people get married they talk about having families of their own. What we don't realize is that we have a family of our own. My family is different than my siblings families and is different than your family. Your family could be all ginger haired or look like the United Nations but it doesn't matter because it is your family.


Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

You, who are on the road must have a code that you can live by.
And so become yourself because the past is just a good bye.
Teach your children well, their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they picked, the one you're known by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of the tender years can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your years, they seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well, their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they picked, the one you're known by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.