As my children began to grow up, I would sometimes regret not having a closer relationship with my cousins, aunts, uncles and even my brother, sister and nieces and nephews. I would look at other families whom had those types of relationships and wonder how they did it. I longed for those relationships. To say that one of my cousins was my best friends, and that we could never be tore apart. I longed for those relationships for my children like I had when I was a very young girl. As a child, and before we moved away from our childhood home I did have some of those relationships. And for a while I still wanted that. Now, it seems so much less of an issue.
Don't get me wrong. I don't love those people any less, but for one reason or another we have become a little less familiar. A little more distant. The miles and even the feeling that we have for each other are not the same that they once were. We have our own families and our own friends. We have different political views and different religious views and that comfortable feeling of being able to spend all hours of the night talking goes away. I look back and I realize that sometimes life happens and it is all that you can do to stay close to those people. Those people that you love with all your heart but know that it is o.k. to just simply be family...not close family...but just family.
And then somewhere along the line, something amazing happened, I realized that I made relationships with some amazing people that treated my children with more respect and love than I could have ever have hoped for. The people that did not replace those titles of traditional family, but created relationships that were unique and wonderful in their own way. I realized this even more after a recent visit from own of my military family members (No, not blood...but you see the point I am forming here.) came to visit from New Mexico. We had not seen each other in years but it was if I had seen her yesterday. This resonated with me. I have some of the most wonderful people that are more than friends, that are more that "best" friends. Personally I dislike the word best friend, only because that is a cheapened word any more. Best friends are thrown away. Family friends stick around no matter what even if you make them angry, or don't always agree. (It's called talking and getting over it!)
So thank you to those who stuck around and never gave up on me, my husband or my children. To those that love to spend time with me and are o.k. with my weirdness, because guess what? I am o.k. with your's too. For those people that believe differently than me, but you know that does not bother me, because I am o.k. with you having different belief systems too. If you are my "family" then you are my life. I am grateful for you! I chose to walk the road less traveled with you, I love you for who you are, and I will never take you for granted.
For those of you who may be reading this that are a part of my traditional family and we have lost touch, please know that I love you and I am always here. I do miss you with all of my heart. My hope for you is that you have these same amazing family friendships in your life.
