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21 August 2011

CMB: #4

Family.
I wouldn't say that I have a lot of blood family.  It's just my parents, my brother, my grandfather, and myself.  We try to have these family dinners at least once a month or every other month, or really just whenever we can.  Vacations have been my parents and myself for most of my life for my brother is ten years older than myself.  Christmases and Thanksgiving are really just another dinner (except, of course, the feast-ness on Thanksgiving).  

Daddy, Mom, Shawn, myself at one of my birthdays (which is in July, so I'm not naturally tan, unfortunately).

I've always been a tad bit jealous of people with bigger families, even of the crazy stories.  In fact, I'm often jealous of how close Duncan is with his sister, Jaclynn.  They are so close in age and it's just beautiful how much they love and watch out for each other.  

Family is so important to me and I love the small close one I have.  They have been my earthly rock.  If I look at true, unconditional, sacrificial love, I see it in my parents.  As I got older I realized that sometimes love isn't expressed how you would like it to be, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.  

My Grandfather, whom we call Pop Pop, and myself at my high school graduation.

I find this best with my brother, I know that he loves me in his own way and he expresses it how he knows best: telling me not to buy this technology and why I should look in to this technology.  He remembers to come over to the house on holidays, and one time he even called me out of the blue for me to come play with his new XBOX Kinect (even, of course, had one of the first).  He's a boy, I try to remind myself.  But he loves me and I know he will be there every Thanksgiving and Christmas at the very least, which knowing him, he I will see him sporadically throughout the year as he comes over for food or to help my parents with something technology related, or even to pick up something he mailed to our house.
With my mom at the Stonehenge in England.

And I love knowing that my family is about to get bigger, by what feels like tenfold.  Meeting Duncan's family in Europe was amazing.  It was almost something I couldn't really expect until I was there.  His family is so connected even though they are worlds apart (literally, the family is spread like a compass: Italy and Scotland is North, Zimbabwe is South, Australia is East, America is West).  They have scheduled times to call each family according to their time zones (which as we all know is jumping across days for America to Australia).  But they phone anyways, at least once a week, and they visit when they can.  


Duncan's cousin, Matteo, Duncan's aunt, Maria, and Duncan's nonna (grandmother) in Terrasini, Sicily.
I can't imagine going from a whole big family unit to everyone spread out like Duncan's family did, but I was so so grateful to have the opportunity to meet many more of his family.  I have tallied in my head who I have left, and I feel like I have completed most of the list!  His family is so amazing and I feel like I learned a lot from each of them about family.  
Duncan with his Grummies (grandfather) and Granny in Gigha, Scotland.
I feel blessed with my small family and I know that God gave me a great foundation in my life with them and now my family is about to expand exponentially with another amazing set of people and I am just so elated.  I truly believe family, no matter how small, is God's first gift to you.  They have something to teach you whether you wish you didn't have them or you couldn't imagine life with out them.  As I near graduation and marriage, I look around me and am just so blessed with my gift and Duncan's gift of family: how we both couldn't be who we are and where we are without them.
With my parents at my high school graduation.
**I apologize if this reads jumbled.... 

1 comment:

  1. What incredible blessings both families are! It's so neat to see that even though D's family is so spread out, that they're still so in touch with each other!

    ReplyDelete

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