Family

Family is something we take for granted sometimes.  Our siblings, our parents, grandparents, etc.  We assume they will always be there, but when the time comes and they are not, we find ourselves wishing we had done something different or known them better.
I guess I feel like I want to get closer to parts of my family that I do not know very well.  I know my mom has cousins and such I have never met because they live in England.  It would be cool to meet extended family and friends.  Only family I've ever known is my small immediate family.  My mom who raised us kids on her own, she is amazing.  We had our ups and downs growing up, but every family has those.  To this day I don't know how she did it on her own, with the little salary she had raising us and us turning out as well as we did.  I love my mom and thank her every day for the things she has done for us.  My mom still lives in Prescott, Arizona and is retired.


My father, I can't say I know him that well.  He left when I was only around 4 years old.  I tried over the years to get to know him, but then he just does something that makes me change my mind.  He never seemed to want to know us that well, and so I really don't try that hard to know him either.  Why call someone dad whom you don't know as a dad because he was only there a couple times a year?  I hate to say that, but I don't see him making any effort on his end either.  My father will be 71 this year and it's sad to know I feel like he is a stranger.  My father lives in Phoenix, Arizona.


My siblings are awesome.  I'm closest to my sister Angela.  She is one of the most amazing women I know.   She is smart, beautiful, funny, witty, and she will do anything she can to help anyone.  She is a brave soul who teaches elementary school kids.  It takes a certain character and type of person to do what she does.  She has her degree from University of Arizona and I am proud of her every day for that.  Angela currently lives in Enid, Oklahoma with her husband Jerod.  I'm hoping that they make me an auntie soon....


My brothers Philip (Angela's twin) and Mark (older sibling), we do not keep in touch as much as I wish we did.   They are also amazing people, when they aren't too busy with life to talk to their sister.  Mark is an amazing mechanic who is living in San Jose, California.  He has 4 beautiful kids, two of whom I've never met yet.   He is a hard worker, and although he has had his share of trouble in the past, he is totally awesome!  Philip will always be my baby brother, I don't care what he says, yes he is 27 years old now and he is a lot taller than me, but he's still my baby brother.  I love him very much and proud of how far he has come.  He is currently doing management at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Arizona.  He, like Mark is a very hard worker and I believe there are amazing things to come to him in his future.  I wish I could get to talk to him more often.

I have no living grandparents.  The last grandparent I had was my moms mom and she passed away mothers day of 2002 at the age of 89.  I was very close to her, she was an amazing woman.  My mom was an only child so I have no aunts or uncles or cousins on that side of the family.  From what I know my father has a brother, whom I never recall meeting or know if I have any cousins from.  So my family pretty much consists of the people mentioned above.  I do have one of two half sisters from my father's side, Lisa whom I keep in contact with and love very much.  I do not know my other half sister because she did not want to know my siblings and I.  


I think I just wanted to share my family with everyone and how much I love them.   Family is what makes our lives.   I believe family is what teaches us to be the people we are today.   I want to get closer to everyone in my family and let them know every day how much I love them, for you don't know if tomorrow they will still be here.   Remember to love your family, and keep in touch with them, family can be an important part of our lives.  My family is scattered all over the US, but I'm thinking of a way to bring us all together at least once a year, it could be fun!  I miss them and want to see them.