family is a blessing

Something happened recently that really made me see how valuable and important family is.  It also reminded me that family is more than blood.  If I were to explain my family to you, we'd need to get some paper and pens out so that I could map it all out.  You could say that we definitely put the "FUN" in dysfunctional.  

When I was younger I thought I was one of a kind because my parents were divorced and having step-siblings was a novelty because all of my friends' parents were still happily married.  I grew up with my mom, step-dad, and step brother and sister for the largest majority of my life, but my parents divorced when I was 20.  Now that my step-brother and sister and me were no longer legally related, I knew that didn't matter.  They were my brother and sister, through and through.

My sister lives in Arkansas now but my brother is still here in San Diego.  We both have crazy schedules and are unable to see each other often, but the times we do have together are perfect.  Last weekend a very good friend of my brother took his life, and my brother was shaken.  We sat at my mom's house for mother's day (his step-mom) and were a family, supporting him, loving him.  We spent the night showing his girlfriend embarrassing photos of him when he was little, reminiscing about our matching vests for Christmas pictures, and looking back at when we became a family.  

Family is more than a legal document. 

Family is love.

Family is there for you when you need them most. 

Families will go through trials and tribulations, but relationships will be restored.  

It is crazy at times to think that we are not legally or blood related, but our relationship surpasses all of those things.  And I love my family more than anything in the world!