Family Portrait

I never fully realized how blessed I am to have the family that I have. Before England, I was living within thirty minutes from nearly my entire extended family for the first time since grade two. I lived in the same country as my family for most of my life, but nearly always lived far enough away from family that Christmas was a HUGE deal and birthday presents between my sister and I were always combined. 

This never bothered me. In fact, until recently, it been a bit of a relief to be apart from family that I honestly grew up not knowing very well. I would feel awkward during reunions because, as much as I love being part of a family, I never truly felt part of my greater, extended clan. I don't blame my parents for this; in fact, I've spoken about this to them on numerous occasions. I grew up rolling my eyes when people would talk about how much they missed their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and the like. It just never made sense to me, never having lived close enough and been old enough to warrant a decent relationship with any of them.

After having finally come to terms with the fact that, yes, I don't fair well with long-distance relationships, which in turn leads to many unhealthy coping mechanisms, I can finally say, in all seriousness and joy that I love, and greatly enjoy my extended family!

I have the strangest, most lovable family ever! I have my mom's side of the family: a 101 cousins (all of who are more tech-savvy than me...and probably dress better), my aunt and uncle who built an entirely new house simply to fit even more people into the already bustling household, my grave-digging uncle, the uncle who introduced me to modern technology (aka. the DVD player), the secretly totally hip grandmother/free hairdresser, and "Waste Not, Want Not" obsessive gardener grandfather. My father's side of the family is a bit smaller, but no less lovable: my Shaggy-look-alike cousin (who has a tattoo, which instantly gives him more swag than me), my chicken-rearing uncle (who bought his wife a corvette), my aunt who I personally don't think has aged a day during my lifetime (and she drives a corvette), my not-afraid-to-call-you-out grandma who made me realize that my dad was once a kid too (also, she gave me aprons, so she's a winner in my books), and my adorable grandfather who, although he is nearly deaf, still knows how to crack a mean joke!

I love my family, immediate and extended. We are a quirky bunch of people who laugh and eat and eat and laugh together when we can. Though I still have that initial awkward sensation upon entering any given family scenario, I know that I will leave each gathering with a grin on my face and having gained about three pounds extra. C'est la vie!