Lent 2014 - Day 1 - My Family

My Family

For Lent this year I'm trying something new.  I'm not at all sure I will make it through all 40 days, but I'm going to give it a try.  I am going to post a photo each day of something or someone that is important to me. That alone is a challenge, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that I should also share WHY the person(s) or thing(s) is/are important to me.

I thought I'd start with the obvious, My Family.  That's easy! Actually, no.  The people in this photo are the most important people in the world to me.  They are the ones who have taught me what the word "family" means.

Growing up my family was small, and disjointed to say the least.  We were not particularly close and many of us didn't really care for each other.  I know my experience is not unique and I'm not complaining, just stating some facts.  I was an only child until I was 16, when my first half-sister was born.  I moved out when I was 18, so I never really got to experience life with a sibling.

When I met my husband I began to learn what family really means.  His family is large, connected and very close (not to mention loud!). It took me a long time to understand why he would want  to spend time with them. It boggled my mind that one would voluntarily go "home" and work on one's parent's or sibling's house, or get together for dinner.  Slowly I learned.  

Family are the people you can count on, related or not, no matter what, to be there for you, love you, laugh and cry with you.  They are there through the good and the bad, when you are at your best and when you are at your worst.  It was amazing!

This is the kind of family my husband and I have tried to build for our kids.  I think it's working.  I am still surprised that my kids want to hang out with us (me).  I love that my college aged son still comes home most weekends, my high school aged daughter still confides in me and my adopted German son shares his life with us from thousands of miles away.

This is my Zombie Apocalypse Team - Deane, Julian, Cora and Wolf, and together we will survive!