Family

I knew this essay about family was coming.  JC and I had talked it over last week and wondered aloud about what family is.

I guess my grandfather digging the foundation for the addition to his house and taking in his daughter and her kids is as good a definition as family gets.

When my mother committed suicide, they had trouble placing my little sister.  No one wanted to take her in.  She ended up living with a boyfriend and his family. but they had put her out.  We had heard of the death late, because we were out of town.  I tracked her down and went and got her and brought her home to our house. 

She was beside herself in grief and troubles and I couldn't connect with her, even though we were blood kin.  We enrolled her in school, she refused to go.  I spent $1000 to put her in a special school that had individualized programs, much like my son is in now.    She ran away.

I had to let her go.  She was a stranger to me.  There was a desire to connect but not a way.

The day she left to live with yet another guy, I went out in the lawn and pulled out dandelions till the sun went down and my fingers were raw.


I hid that feeling of loss and went on. 


You can choose people to add to and be your family.  I choose my journal buddies as my brother and sisters. 

I got my hubby and son, a small family that does not need a whole thanksgiving turkey.  Son is growing up and transitioning to adulthood.  He gets mad and says. "YOU aren't my MOM!"  thanks kid love you too. 

We may not be blood kin, but we ARE family.