For me, life would be unbearable without family.
After my own mother passed away, these two wacky aunts of mine stepped right up and filled in where their big sister left off. (I love gushing all over them and teasing with them whether they love me more or I love them more!) These women define the word wacky but they are also two of the smartest, most loyal and dependable people I know. I absolutely cherish them.
Bloodlines mean nothing.
With all my heart, I feel that family has very little to do with bloodlines and is all about love, loyalty, and commonality. I believe you can create the family you want. I did.
Living most of my adult life far away from my actual blood family, I reached out to create ‘family’ in the form of sisterhoods. As I embraced my friends children as my own, it didn’t take long before they all started referring to me as aunty.
I also continually sought out maternal relationships I could learn from and be mentored by as well. My 97 yr old Hula teacher means the world to me and has had a most powerful impact on me. There are no words to describe how much I cherish having her in my life
I found motherless children and made them my own
Then, as most of you know, I could not have children. Instead, I found motherless children and embraced them and raised them as my own. My husband, a widower after his wife died of breast cancer, came with four amazing children. In hindsight, I wonder if I fell in love with him, the kids. Most likely it was a combination of the two. But I knew the whole package was my new family.
Being with my family, both my blood-family and my chosen-family, is nothing short of pure comfort. It’s a blanket of warmth, and loyalty that envelops me with a feeling I can only describe as “home.” And for me that’s as precious and as dear as life gets.
Leave nothing left unsaid.
I’ve always been good at expressing my love and appreciation for all the amazing people in my life. But this past year has taught me more than ever, to leave nothing left unsaid. Follow me in embracing those you love and do not assume they know how you feel. Tell them. Let it all gush out.
And if you struggle with it, search through my website. Let my body of work help you find the words. (Heaven knows I know how to gush!) Life is short. Do it now.
