1 down 49 to go - Family is first

Aaah Family, the one element in your life that can account for masses of happiness & joy or masses of angst & utter misery. I am blessed with a great family on the whole, there are some people within it I can happily not see or be part of their life. Those who I consider important I make the effort to see and make time for them in my life. I am the eldest of three kids in my immediate family and am the typical big sister - somewhat bossy and dictatorial but always quick to defend and protect my younger siblings, though they don't need it so much now that we are adults and busy with our own lives. But they know I am there for them at the end of the phone and ready to lend a hand or an ear and be their big sister at any time.

You know I lost my mum last year on September 6th and that is a grieving process I am told will take it's time to pass. Mum was a true mum, that was what she did, she raised us kids and did the tuckshop, school run, fetes, the usual palaver when it comes to having kids of school age!

My dad is a real dad, a bloke who can turn his hand to anything, built my brother and I the most amazing cubby house with a mezzanine level and internal staircase and everything. It was freaking unreal when I look back on it, but I didn't think it was a big deal because I thought all Dads did stuff like that. I look back at my childhood and it seems like Camelot - it really was that perfect. I was allowed to be an innocent child, not exposed to anything harsh or nasty or mean within the home at least. I never heard any fighting but then again I wouldn't have with my severe hearing loss so that probably accounted for it.

I only had my mum's parents as grandparents and they were the only source of problems that I can recall as they were divorced when Mum was 11 and caused Mum much stress and angst each and every Christmas with the whole family visitations. In fact, my Grandmother is the sole reason why I loathe and despise Christmas because of the stress she creates every single frigging year. I do love my grandmother more out of a sense of duty, I admire some elements to her extraordinary narcissistic personality but mostly I tolerate her now. She has been the cause of too much unhappiness in the family to truly have my unabiding love and affection.

Mum's sister is someone I have grown very close too of recent time mainly due to the whole experience of nursing my mum until she passed. I suspect we will grow closer when my grandmother passes away as she is an obstacle to the path of developing real closeness as she prevents us spending time together without having to justify time away just to talk and be together.

On the whole I consider myself blessed in the family in the traditional sense, then there is my family of friends who have really enriched my life exponentially since I started gathering them around me as I got older and really kept them. I have met them through a number of avenues, karate, dancing, work and online and they have really just brought me joy and happiness and lots and lots of laughter. I delight in them being my friends as much I delight in being their friend and I hope I make a good friend, I do try very hard to be a good friend.

Until next time..........