I’m sure you’ve seen those shirts with sayings like “Why be normal when you could be a (insert your own last name)?” Well, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I fully embrace the crazy. That’s right. I kinda like it. I enjoy looking at old pictures and telling stories about my grandparents, who are no longer with us. They were a rare match. I just heard a new story this weekend I didn’t even know, and it makes me laugh to think of my grandfather doing this.
Apparently, when my brother was born, my grandpa hid a flask inside his pocket and brought it to the hospital to celebrate. He took my dad in the bathroom and made him a drink. Those crazy French. He was a hard worker, and he loved to have a good time too. No one can say that our family hasn’t carried on that tradition (the having a good time part, not the hiding a flask about our person, although, it might be a good idea). This weekend, we had another family celebration. My husband and I stayed up talking to my Uncle after everyone else had left. He was smiling, swirling his red wine in his glass, and asked if I thought my girls had a good time. I said they loved coming to visit and that they always look forward to spending the night there. He said they will remember these trips for many years to come. I agreed. They sure will. They are already talking about coming back for Thanksgiving.
As with any family, there are times we don’t all agree. There have even been a few umm, let’s call them tiffs. When you look at the whole picture though, not just the short-term, you will come to realize that down the road, all that matters is the memories you make. Whether by marriage, adoption, or blood, the bond with family is strong. Sometimes, it takes work to keep it that way. Don’t lose site of who you are or where you came from.
“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.” ~Erma Bombeck
