Family

Hopefully this makes sense as I write it. The thoughts that I have had make sense to me and I hope that I can convey what I mean effectively.

I have been in Arizona for the last few days visiting my Aunt and Uncle, my two cousins, Grandma, and my dad, brother, and sister. When I was first told about our trip my thoughts turned to how much different life is for me when I am down in Phoenix. I was sad to be leaving behind my friends in Fort Collins, and all the fun things that I do with them. It hadn't quite settled on me that I had the opportunity to see some important people that I hadn't heard from, let alone seen for about a year. Needless to say I was less then enthusiastic about my trip out of town.

The last three days have changed my perspective in what I consider a significant way. I think that it is easy to take family for granted when they live in town like mine does. I can easily just drive across town to see them almost any time that I want to. When I woke up on Saturday morning to the sounds of my three year old cousin, it didn't take long before I went out to see my family. It was really surprising to see how much my two cousins had changed in a short year. I feel like they are almost twice as big. The three year old can actually form sentences and respond somewhat logically when I talk with him. So what did I miss in this last year.

I was talking with my aunt for about an hour just sharing different experiences from the past year. I was fascinated to find out how much things had actually changed for her family in the last year. And I had absolutely no idea. But on the same note, my aunt had no idea about half of the changes that had happened to me in the last year. (she does get frequent updates from my dad and so she knows a bit about me.)

The fascinating thing is the fact that nothing had changed in our relationships. We were able to pick up right where we left off. This hardly ever happens with our friends. Sometimes we have a close enough friendship with someone that long periods between contact don't really affect anything. With these friends we can see the same effect take place.

So what is it that is so important about family? What is this special bond that can bridge almost any obstacle, whether it be time and space away from each other, trials that may come, or even difficulties between family members themselves?

Even in non-traditional families this same bond can be seen, though in a different light. Maybe the bond between the mother and the father can be severed and that relationship changes, but this doesn't necessarily change the relationship between the children and each individual parent. It almost becomes a revitalization in some situations, where previous barriers are dissolved and a relationship can continue on and be like it would have been if the barrier had never been there. I have seen this in talking with many different friends, and through other observations, and so far i haven't really found any discrepancies in the results.

So obviously the family has a role that cannot be replaced, no matter how much we can try. Even though my friends play a huge role in my life right now, I always turn to my family for so much that my friends can't really offer to me. And this isn't to discredit my friends at all. They are fantastic. I don't know what I would do without them.

I do however know what i would do without each member of my family. I won't go into details here, but as I have reflected I have come to know the role of each family member in my life, and the gaps that would be present in my life. I don't think that anyone else could really fill those roles.

I think that no matter what our family circumstance is, we have something to be grateful for. They do so much for us, even if we are oblivious to this fact.

I am truly grateful for my family and everything they mean to me. And at this time of year I think that is something that comes out in everyone. No matter what phase in life we are in. And that's why families come together during the holiday season. Because we each have some family tie that gets realized, and which we honor with our time.

How wonderful it is to have our families. Cherish them for all the good that they bring. And forget the pain that some individuals cause. These actions will bring us joy and happiness this Christmas season and as long as we keep that as a focus.