the good stuff
At my parents’ anniversary party last year, one of my brothers gave a toast that made me cry. Made everyone cry. He talked about my parents’ love and how that love spread its wings ‘round all of us, making us a tight knit family. And he’s right. For the most part, I’m close with everyone in my family. There are a few that I don’t know as well as the others, but that has more to do with age difference (I’m the youngest of eight, the youngest by a mile) and proximity, since some of them moved away when I was little.
But that’s the thing about family. In some ways, we don’t know anything about each other. In other ways, we know more about each other than anyone else.
I was thinking today about some of the other gifts my parents have given me and my family. Many, many have people pitched in to help with my move. My niece clinched the deal on my rental, my brother (her dad) is helping me move my stuff and my sister and mom have just offered a lot of emotional support in what has been an increasingly stressful (and fast!) move to Portland.
We’re “yes” people. We don’t sit around lamenting the ins and the outs of what might happen if we make a wrong choice. We just do it. And anyway, as you may have picked up from reading the blog, there’s plenty of time for self-reflection after the wrong decision was made.
We’re a family of doers. Spontaneous creatures who love to get the most out of life. A while back I had a kind of surreal experience when I got waxed by an ex-member of popular heavy metal band from the late 80’s/early 90’s. And no, I don’t mean that metaphorically. I mean literally waxed. He works in a hair salon now. That’s where heavy metal drummers end up, I guess. Which I suppose makes sense in an odd sort of way.
He’s a good guy, and we had a nice talk during my appointment. He talked about how he lost some friends after he got married… Because they sort of drifted away. He also talked about a family member who refused to do “anything” anymore, because he has kids. “You can’t just jump in the car and go off somewhere when you have children,” he told me.
A fact that would probably surprise my sister a great deal, since she does this all the time.
I truly believe that throughout your whole life it’s rare to meet anyone who says what they mean, follows through on what they say they’re going to do, and just generally can be counted on 100% not to let you down. We have a whole family of people just like that. Our word is all we got, man. And it’s important to all of us.
I don’t feel hurt or angry by the people I come across who let me down. I really don’t. As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I think just about everyone lets you down. People rarely say what they mean or do what they say they will do. And that’s ok. That’s their life choice.
And if that sounds pessimistic and un-Lisa like, consider this: I’d rather be pleasantly surprised by a few than disappointed by many. It’s just easier to expect less of most people. Easier on me and, I suspect, easier on them.
I’m grateful for my family. Gratefully Deadicated, as a favorite t-shirt from college proclaims.
My family is the bane of my existence. The root of endless stress. And made up of my favorite people on this planet.
I guess I’m just lucky.
But that’s the thing about family. In some ways, we don’t know anything about each other. In other ways, we know more about each other than anyone else.
I was thinking today about some of the other gifts my parents have given me and my family. Many, many have people pitched in to help with my move. My niece clinched the deal on my rental, my brother (her dad) is helping me move my stuff and my sister and mom have just offered a lot of emotional support in what has been an increasingly stressful (and fast!) move to Portland.
We’re “yes” people. We don’t sit around lamenting the ins and the outs of what might happen if we make a wrong choice. We just do it. And anyway, as you may have picked up from reading the blog, there’s plenty of time for self-reflection after the wrong decision was made.
We’re a family of doers. Spontaneous creatures who love to get the most out of life. A while back I had a kind of surreal experience when I got waxed by an ex-member of popular heavy metal band from the late 80’s/early 90’s. And no, I don’t mean that metaphorically. I mean literally waxed. He works in a hair salon now. That’s where heavy metal drummers end up, I guess. Which I suppose makes sense in an odd sort of way.
He’s a good guy, and we had a nice talk during my appointment. He talked about how he lost some friends after he got married… Because they sort of drifted away. He also talked about a family member who refused to do “anything” anymore, because he has kids. “You can’t just jump in the car and go off somewhere when you have children,” he told me.
A fact that would probably surprise my sister a great deal, since she does this all the time.
I truly believe that throughout your whole life it’s rare to meet anyone who says what they mean, follows through on what they say they’re going to do, and just generally can be counted on 100% not to let you down. We have a whole family of people just like that. Our word is all we got, man. And it’s important to all of us.
I don’t feel hurt or angry by the people I come across who let me down. I really don’t. As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I think just about everyone lets you down. People rarely say what they mean or do what they say they will do. And that’s ok. That’s their life choice.
And if that sounds pessimistic and un-Lisa like, consider this: I’d rather be pleasantly surprised by a few than disappointed by many. It’s just easier to expect less of most people. Easier on me and, I suspect, easier on them.
I’m grateful for my family. Gratefully Deadicated, as a favorite t-shirt from college proclaims.
My family is the bane of my existence. The root of endless stress. And made up of my favorite people on this planet.
I guess I’m just lucky.
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