Families are made up of a multitude of personalities, races, genders and appearances. This doesn't make them any less of a family, it just makes them different...much like the rest of the world. That's right, different. Abnormal, exceptional, unique...the list can go on for a while, but it all boils down to the same thing: there is no such thing as “normal”; especially in a family. We may have the same nucleus as other families: Mom, Dad, two kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc; but we've found that the heart can love people outside the “traditional” family titles as much as the ones that are more conventional. Sisters and brothers of the heart is what we call them. This weekend has been full of that family.
A Saturday trip to the beach condo with Higher Briars and her cousins was at the start. Monster Teen hung out at the pool while Toddler Troll and I hung out at the beach. Hours of silliness ended in all of the kids playing in the condo while the adults talked. Higher Briars is, most assuredly, a sister of my heart...we each accept the other, “warts” and all. She's one of only two women that I've ever trusted completely with the real me. That person inside that we hold in reserve because we're not sure that anyone can really accept the total package. I never have to hold back with her; I laugh loudly, speak my mind, and never for a second worry that I'll be judged for anything I feel is a deficiency in my personality. THAT is family.
It doesn't have to be defined by blood relation. It's a feeling deep in your heart that says, “You belong.” Duckie and I have been questioned on this feeling many times in our 15 years of marriage, but even more so within the last year. The Land of All Ducked Up has received a Path of Recovery and there have been a few people who have been added to our list of family along the way. People who mean the world to us and have been instrumental in developing that Path of Recovery to it's full potential. We spent the entire day with them yesterday starting with watching one of them get baptized at their church and ending with a barbecue/pool party with several others.
A cook out with some of the blood relations will end this long weekend and we'll love every minute of it, too. Where once I may have dreaded an event with some of them, I now revel in it...I've learned that their “warts” aren't as bad as I had made them out to be and their beauty is absolutely worth every ounce of my love. They have the power to lift us up when we are sad, love us until we can love ourselves, laugh with us, cry for us when needed and never give up on us.
We have such a phenomenal cast of characters in our mixed up world and I wouldn't have it any other way.
2 comments:
I have learned that many times over my "Heart" family is irreplaceable in my life. Those are the ones that are here in my life because we want to be in each others lives NOT because we are biologically required to be. And time and time and time again those are the people that I know I can count on to be there, many times without even needing to ask, than the ones that I just had the misfortune to share a bloodline with.
It's wonderful to hear that we're not the only ones that have adopted this way of thinking/feeling. I definitely believe the world would be a much better place if we each had more "heart" family in our lives.
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