Family Time

Tonight we had a little get-together with my Dad's side of the family which I hardly ever get to see.  My dad's cousins were visiting from Texas and they don't get to come in town too often.  So as my family was coming over, I quickly realized that I couldn't remember how everybody fit together.  Most people I could identify as certain puzzle pieces of our family, but finding the other pieces they adjoined to and making those connections was a process, that I'm a little embarrassed to say, took roughly the whole entirety of the shin-dig.  (I think I totally just lost merit in the level of "cool-ness" by saying "shin-dig" Oh well.  I'm partly from the South.  It'll work.)

With realizing that I couldn't figure out quickly how people were related - and some people I didn't know their names (yikes!) - I also realized that I don't get to see certain family members often enough.  And I'm not just meaning this side of the family.  I have several cousins and great-aunts and uncles that live outside of Ohio that don't get here a whole lot.  I have cousins I haven't gotten to see for years and only communicate with either via facebook or text-messaging.  And while I still love talking to them in these ways, it doesn't make up for losing face-to-face time with them.

Family, in my opinion, is a number one priority.  I don't know where I'd be without my family - and, honestly, I don't want to know.  There are certain members of my family that I talk to every single day, and those people are really important to me.   And while I don't necessarily get along with everyone in my family, that doesn't keep me from realizing that my family is awesome.  While some people might be slightly embarrassing, they're my family.  I think everyone at some point has been embarrassed by their families, and as soon as someone starts to make fun of your family or diss them in anyway, you jump on them and defend those you love.  Because you love them.  I know if anybody tries to diss my family members that I'm close to and that I love, I let that person know that it is NOT okay to do this.  My family is just so important and I will never put anything in this life before them. 

To me, a family does not have to consist of blood-relatives, and with that you don't have to consider every blood-relative family.  I know there are some people who treat you like dirt and don't think before they say stuff to you.  And as far as I'm concerned, those people aren't family.  Majority of my family are not blood-related, but I still love them all the same.  My friends are like family to me, especially those who have been through thick and thin with me.  I know that doesn't sound very meaningful, me only being 14 (and 3 quarters, thank you), but I honestly mean that.  Without my friends and family, I probably wouldn't be here, writing this, today.

Have a great weekend,
Hanna