Thankfulness

...is family.  Today families come in various forms.  Some have two daddies, some have two mommies, some have one parent, either daddy or mommy, some are different through race, and religion.  Then, in more recent times, I'll say since the sixties, a new kind of family emerged.  It got labeled "A Blended Family", and was composed when divorce became the norm, and couples remarried a different wife, or a different husband.  It was the children from these marriages that made the families blended.  There were now 'step-children' mixed in with new siblings from the second marriage couple.

It was trying to find out, like the old song went...am I...'My Own Grandpa?"

Turns out my family is one of the blended kind.  I had a daughter, my husband had three kids, two girls and a boy, and 'we' in turn had a girl.  Blended families are not easy.  New uncharted waters need to be swum.  There is child support, visitation rights to be adhered to, acceptance of new step-parent...or not...and times for adjustment.

When we first started out, we were poor...I'm talking poor.  Sure we had a roof over our heads, heat, and food on the table, but things like new school clothes for the kids, or money for a field trip were difficult to come by.  Every payday child support was the first check that left the house and we never failed to meet that obligation.

I remember on Friday evening we were doing our weekly between payday shopping.  I had a budget of $40.  There was a pet store next to the market, and one of the 'free' things we did was to go in there every time to see what was new.  On this particular evening there was an adorable peach colored cocka-poo up for adoption.  She cost $20, the kids immediately wanted to buy her.  I explained the problem with money, and the kids said they would give up some grocery 'stuff' if we would get the dog.  So, we told them if there was $20 left after shopping we would go back for the dog.

I secretly hoped while we were grocery shopping someone would go into the pet store and buy the puppy.  But, we shopped very frugally, and had enough money left not only to buy the dog, but a week’s worth of food for it as well.  We named her Fluffy.

Other events happened over the years, some very, very good, some 'not so much', but we managed somehow...we always managed to stick together through all the times, bad or good.

The kids grew up, went to college, into the service, got married, in some cases got divorced, re-married, and had children.

Our family, blended as it is, grew, and grew, and grew.  So much so that ex-son-in-laws are now like sons and grand children have started to have children of their own.  All in all, the extended family totals close to forty people...is that wonderful or what?  So it is, I am expressing my thankfulness for my wonderful family even though they are pretty much spread around the country now, and we don't get to see each other as I would like; I know they are just a phone call, e-mail, or a quick Facebook post away on my home page.  We are all eager to know what the other is doing.

I have no words to adequately express the love I have for my family.  None of us ever got rich...and we probably won't monetarily speaking.  But we are rich beyond words when it comes to love and appreciation of the roles each of us plays in the thankfulness of being our family.