Family

Families are a funny thing.  You don't get to pick your relatives - You are born and boom you are part of a family or you could be one of the lucky ones that are adopted.  There are no auditions or tryouts.  Nothing to study and no way to prepare.  You have the family you were dealt.  

I wonder what an audition to be part of a family would look like??  I can see it in the Survivor or American Idol format!  Wouldn't that be a hoot!

I was talking to my brother today about families and I starting thinking about what family means to me.  I realized that family may mean one thing to me, but something entirely different to someone else.

To me family is all about trust, acceptance and unconditional love.  My grandfather - Judy Baby - was big on unconditional love.  He loved me no matter what.... and I knew it.  Same with my parents...... unconditional love.  When you live your life in a world of unconditional love it gives you comfort of knowing that today, the next day and the day after that through infinity and beyond you are loved.

Love is a funny thing too.  Especially when its built on conditions.  Have you ever had a relationship that was based on conditions?  I have... I broke up with a guy once because he didn't put the lid down on the toilet seat!  Another one because he spoke German to my Schnauzer.  (don't ask me why that irritated the living snot out of me.. but it did) When love is given based on conditions people behave and act differently.  They are always trying to prove that they are worthy of your love.  Really?  Is that the way love is supposed to be given out?  I don't think so.... love is a gift you give because you can - not because of what the other person does for you or gives you.

When a family is built on unconditional love, that means that no matter how bad a person has hurt you, or disappointed you - you love them... that means through the good and the bad times.  Take my relationship with my brother as an example......

I probably was tough on my brother growing up - picked on him a little too much - tied him to one too many trees but he knew that his sister loved him.  I would protect him, fight for him, scream at girl friends that hurt him and was his biggest fan.  I protected him at all costs.  No one was going to EVER hurt my brother.....not on my watch.  As we got older, our relationship was awesome... I enjoyed hanging out with him and his friends and loved watching him play baseball.  I remember when he met his future wife - Letitia - we were in the whataburger drive-thru and he said, "Jennifer, she is the one..... she reminds me of you"  What a great compliment!  Years pass, and we both marry and then life happened.  Somewhere along the way, we grew distant.  I can't put my finger on what happened, but it did.  I missed him for years..... was angry that he wasn't in my life like he used to be.... and then I missed him again.... But lately, we have reconnected and I am so grateful.  Again, I go back to unconditional love.  I don't love my brother because I have too..... I love him because I can and I want to.  I don't love him only in the good times but at ALL times.  I have got to be the luckiest girl in the world to have Charles as my brother.  The day he was born, I told my momma he was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen -not sure how many babies I had seen at the ripe old age of 4- but to this day, I still haven't seen a more beautiful baby....

No tryouts, or auditions..... boom.... you are family...Family.... it is a funny thing....

So - I'm curious..... what does family mean to you?