My People

Today I’m back with #Blogtober14, linking up with Helene in Between and The Daily Tay! Today’s prompt: One thing you can’t live without. If you know me, you know that the absolute one thing I cannot live without is:

I know it’s not one ‘thing’, per se, but it’s one unit, and I’m going with it. Seriously, without them, I’d be a poor, sad, lost soul wandering around and probably living under a bridge. Seriously. That is not a joke. No matter what happens in my life or what journey I find myself on, my family has been there, supporting me 110%, every.single.time. and every.single.step.of.the.way. My family is my heart and soul. Without them, nothing else matters. Without their love, I’m lost. Without their caring hearts, I’m dead inside. Without their crazy, quirky personalities, I’m bored. 🙂

I’m one of those people that can spend a few hours/afternoon/day/weekend with my family and be absolutely content and happy. Every minute with my family means more to me than any materialistic thing ever could come close to. And you ain’t got nothin on my family. They are amazing. They are awesome. They are mine. And for that, I’m forever thankful and absolutely blessed.

Who is this family, you ask? Let me introduce you.

My parents.

My parents are seriously the best ever. Okay, so I may be a bit biased, but their love for their children is so profound and can’t even begin to be put into words. They are a Godly and fierce couple that take on the world without a second glance behind them. Hand in hand, they face anything and everything, including the five hundred billion phone calls they receive from me with not-so-great news (see: divorce, car accidents, money problems, etc.). Yet through it all, they love me and support me to learn from what I’ve been handed in life.

My mom. Oh, my mom. I am just like her in so many ways, and for that I’m thankful (most days). She is such a strong foundation for our family and we all know we can turn to her no matter what the situation. She shares our joy and our struggles. She never backs down from anything and is always there for any and all of us, no matter what. She shares advice when it’s asked of her, and she takes care of everything. I know that her ‘behind the scenes’ is that of chaos with all that she keeps up with and track of, but she doesn’t let it show. She always has a good head on her shoulders and never wavers. Although challenging to be the mother of three rambunctious children (who, us?!), she has a sturdiness to her that I dream of possessing one day. I can call her on the phone and talk about nothing at all but be at it for hours. We are both people pleasers and hate to see someone (especially that we love) upset. She goes out of her way to take care of everyone else and it’s a trait that I truly admire. She is inspiring and an amazing role model of a mother I’d like to be to my children one day.

My dad. My dad and I haven’t always seen eye to eye on things, but our relationship now is stronger than ever and will never be broken down. We’ve been through a lot, and I know I put him through a lot. But through it all, his love has been steadfast. He doesn’t judge me. He questions my life decisions, because he loves me and doesn’t want me to fall victim to mistakes he’s already made and learned from. He wants better for his children. He strives to be better. He never gives up on anything he sets his mind to, and he can fix pretty much anything and everything. He’s in the office from 8 to 5, five days a week, and goes home to herd cattle and fix fences on the farm. He’s amazing, and without his love and support, well, let’s just say that I can’t even begin to fathom what life would be like without him in it. I have such a fierce love for my daddy, and it only grows stronger and stronger every day. My dad loves like no other and lives life like no other. He faces his battles with his wife by his side and loves her to a depth that I dream of finding one day. He is a strong and independent family man with a heart of gold. That’s my daddy. (Sorry, you can’t have him.)

My siblings.

I have the most amazing, caring, loving, crazy, sometimes frustrating siblings in the WORLD. Seriously, I dare you to try to find better ones…I’ll wait. Actually, I won’t wait, because it’s impossible and then this post would never end, because I’d still be waiting…waiting…waiting. You get the picture. My brother and sister are the bomb dot com, and I’m not afraid to shout it from the rooftops.

My sister. My sister and I have a relationship that is truly unique. Not only are we sisters, but we are best friends. We share everything: illnesses, weird quirks, boy stories, crappy moods, that rash on our right elbow that one acquired two weeks after the other and having not seen each other (seriously, it just happens!), our fears, dreams, and random musings. We also share a love of reading (yes, we get it from our mama!). My sister is such a strong and independent individual, and I admire her for it. She’s been through a lot and has had a lot of heartbreak, but she’s still staring the world in the face and ready for more. She doesn’t buckle or fade away. She’s also crazy smart and plays with bodily fluids for a living – how awesome is that?! It’s awesome, trust me. I will forever cherish our random evenings bonding over our love of Olive Garden, movies, and chocolate cravings. My sister is my best friend, and without her love, support, and worldly advice, I’d be devastated. She pulls me through a not-so-good day and brings me Potbelly’s sometimes just because she has to turn right. She makes me laugh when all I want to do is cry, and she shows up for me. Our relationship is weird to some, but I cherish it. It hasn’t always been this strong, but I’m so thankful that we are where we are right now.

My brother. My brother is seriously amazing. He is the baby of the family, and he’s absolutely cherished. He is strong and has always been there for me. We bonded over something that I don’t wish on my worst enemy, but when I blamed myself, he never once had an ounce of blame towards me. His strength surprises me (although it shouldn’t), and he has overcome so much. He is hilariously funny and I can always turn to him for a good laugh. He’s really into comedy and sports – all things sports. Especially soccer. I love his passion for all things athletic, and I always loved watching him play sports in school. He’s a natural. He’s also crazy smart with a computer and really anything with technology. I can’t tell you how many times I tried to do something and he says, “Well have you done x, y, or z?” and takes care of the problem while giving me a look like I’m a complete idiot (which I am). Thanks little brother! He also took me into his home when I had nowhere else to turn. My world was ripped apart, and he showed up for me, day in and day out. He picked me up with only a bag in my hand, and he brought me home. He cared about me and looked after me in a way that I had never had him do before. Without question, my brother will rally behind any and all of his family and do whatever is necessary to kick someone’s ass for us (not literally, although he would if he had to…) and to back us up. To take care of us. My brother is fiercely loyal and absolutely amazing. I look forward to standing by his side (ish) on his wedding day. I’m so proud of the man he’s becoming.

And there you have it. My people. These people, I love, and would walk a million miles for (although, I hope they don’t really ask that of me, because that’s a lot of miles and I don’t like to sweat). These people continuously give me hope and love, and they make me laugh – a lot. My people. My ‘one thing I couldn’t live without‘. 

What’s your family like? What’s one thing you can’t live without?