Merry Christmas

This blog is about my family.

We are a tiny family. Six years ago, my extended family consisted of 10 people. Over three years, it diminished to 7. Today we celebrated Christmas with only 6 because my cousin David couldn't get the time off of work to fly home from L.A.

I love my family because:

• They are always there for me... both emotionally and financially. I wish I didn't need the financial help of my family, but I seriously do.
  
• We have the best traditions. Christmas is celebrated like there is no other holiday. I just got done eating our traditional prime rib dinner and it was to die for.
• We are all interestingly different. I learn a lot of new things when I'm around my extended family.
  
• Even though we hardly see each other, we always try to keep up with each other's lives.
• We're dorks. Even though some of us can come off as overly intelligent or incredibly odd, we're all dorks underneath.
• They are the only true family I have, and I will try my best to cherish that fact.

Maybe it's because I have such a small family... but I've always attached myself to my friends as if they were related to me by blood. In a way, I want a large family and am trying to gain it through my friends. Maybe someday I will be able to achieve it on my own. I know I've said a lot that I'm not interested in having kids, or getting married, or starting a family... but I think a part of me has always wanted a tight knit family of my own. Maybe I've just been smart enough to know I'm not ready for it now.

I love my friends who are like a family because:

• They are always there for me, emotionally. I would never feel like a burden calling on these friends because I know that they would always be there to listen and lend their support.
• They have the ability to make me feel the most special.
• They have been witness to some of the most tragic events of my life, and have made sure I've made it through.
• In my heart, I know I will always be there for them as well.
• I'm not ashamed to show them my true self, which is a very empowering feeling.

Merry Christmas!