On Choosing Family

I have recently written about how much I love my family, but failed to mention that you can also choose to make people a part of your family.  I come from a rather large family, both immediate and in-laws, and also aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  Family get-togethers can look like a convention of sorts when everyone is there.  So the idea of choosing more people as part of my family is a wee bit nuts.  But I have my in-laws because I chose one very important person to be my family: G.  

                                                                                                                               Garret is my family.  He has been for far longer than I've been in love with him, because he was there through the up and downs.  He waited it out in the trenches for me.  We had a big blow up when we were younger that involved saying some not so nice things to one another and I thought we were done as friends, but damn is he persistent.  :)

I have a close friend JoLee who I never see enough of when I'm home.  We've been friends since we were I think 14, so 11 years now.  She is the most unique, quirky, big hearted person I know and I am trying desperately to convince her to move out here so I can see her more often.  She works at a children's hospital, worked in non-profit before, and constantly is thinking about how to help the world out.  G and I got the chance to hang out with her this summer (she's one of the people I went to the fashion show with), and she is one of my absolute favorite people back home.

And then there is my best friend Theresa.  She rocks more than I can ever say.  We're so different and yet so alike.  It's a weird paradox.  As with all friends you've had for a while (we met freshmen year of college, she and her roommate lived next door....so that makes us friends for 7 years!) we've had some crazy fights.  At one point I "borrowed" something she's had since she was a baby and hid it from her, only giving it back after we had worked things out.  We've always been the one to tell it like it is to one another, whether it's "you really need to get over so and so because girl he's never going to be anything but a jackass" or "you need to wake up and realize you're more amazing than you give yourself credit for."  I miss her like crazy, and will be making some definite plans for when we're home at Christmas time!

I think it's important to remind yourself that you make your own family.  You choose the people you allow into your life, and you can also choose when to say goodbye to others.  I've been super lucky in the fact that I have been blessed with some over the top fantastic people.  Sometimes I forget to tell them, so I'm writing it down here.