Family.....

Mumma & I (taken a few years ago)

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you.      ~Desmond Tutu~

So, I read the above quote today, it made me giggle, then the first thought that entered my head was “What did I do to piss off God?” Then I thought a little more and realized I have quite possibly the best family in the world....

I have an older brother, and God bless him i swear it's his personal mission in life to torment me. There was a time in our relationship where we couldn't stand to be in the same room as each other. If we were and more than 5mins had passed, name calling and fighting ensued. Then one day, during an exercise in a course we took together I got my relationship with my brother back. It was quite possibly one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. See I have one of those older brothers, that although at times lift has dealt him a few blows he may stay down for a few minutes, but he will get up dust of his knees and start going at it again. He is also the kind of big brother that when he gets an idea in his head he runs full tilt. He has more passion, courage and strength in his pinky finger than I think I have in my entire body. I'm thankful I have him in my corner, no matter how many times he punches, shoves and makes fun of me.

I have a mother, that I swear is an Angel sent from above. This is a lady that after 27 years of marriage decided that she deserved better and reinvented herself. She'd been with my father since high school and went, pretty much, from her parents home to her married home. She is also the type of mother that let me and my brother make our mistakes but no matter what, the minute we turned around, was standing right there with open arms for hugs, a wash cloth for scrapes and bruises, an aspirin for a hangover, and words of wisdom when a boy or girl had broken our heart. She is also the mother that when her daughter is lying in a hospital bed having just come back from the verge of death leans over and says “So help me God if you think of leaving this earth before me, I will kill you myself.” She is my best friend and my hero. If I can be half the mother to my kids as she was to me, they will be some seriously lucky kids.

I have a father, that all I can say is he battles his demons on a regular basis. He trains me in the art of forgiveness, letting go, and loving someone no matter what. I know he loves me.

Of my Grandparents, I have one Grandmother that is still with me here on earth and although she is my father's mom, her my and mom are cut from the same cloth. She never lets you forget just  how truly special you are. She isn't afraid to give her opinion about the boy you're dating and makes it very clear is she thinks you deserve better. She is also not afraid to give you the “Grandmother eyes” if she thinks you're being a brat. She is also the kind of Grandmother that when your father disappoints you and leaves you crying in a bus depot, calls you a few times to ensure you're ok and reminds you about just how loved you are.

Then there there is the, what feels like, gazillion aunts, uncles and cousins I have. I may not see them once a week, or sometimes not even once a month, but when you do see them, the minute your aunt wraps her arms around you, you can feel the love she generates. I have the kind of uncles that mistakenly dials your number and confuses you with his daughter and it makes you giggle. I also have the kind of uncles that,  when your father disappoints you, they take time our of their busy schedule and take you for coffee just to make sure you know its not your fault. I have the kinds of aunts and uncles that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if I ever needed them, would be there in a flash, no matter how long its been since we've seen each other. I have the kinds of cousins that take a day off to sit in the hospital with you and that check in via text of email just to see how you're doing. I can say that my family is a giant fruit salad topped off with a couple nuts.

So yeah, God's gift to me truly is my family because the feeling I get when I think about my family, is a feeling that I wouldn't trade for all the riches in the world.