Family, Extended

Let me tell you a little secret...I have the coolest extended family I know...
(Ok, secret's out. I'll elaborate.)

My dad's side of the family is super close. This is particularly noteworthy considering that geographically, we have been scattered for years. He has siblings in Seattle, San Diego, Maine, and Rhode Island, and one in Illinois, and I am close to all of them, could call any one of them and just chat for an hour. And their children, my cousins, are some of my favorite people in the world (my sister is my favorite, but even she's related...). I feel like I could get into a conversation with any of my cousins at any time, and it would be just like we never left each other. They are funny, talkative, sane, and wise. They lead interesting and diverse lives. They are all tall, and they are alternately self-adoring and self-conscious. We're all a big fan of having our picture taken and hamming it up, which leads to interesting family photos... The guys are handsome, but the girls are gorgeous. All tall, beautiful and striking, down to the very last one of us. :) There is a closeness there that cannot be touched by anyone who is not related. They say that blood is thicker than water, and I believe it. If there was a crisis in my life, my family would be there first and stay there longer than anyone else. My cousins keep tabs on my love life, work life, and school life. And I keep tabs on theirs. There is a protectiveness that I feel about all of them (except Mark, he's the only one older than me, not thinking that he needs my protection, really, but I would be there in a second if he needed me for anything...), especially the girls. I want them to find great men to love them, and cherish them. I want only the best for them. Girl friendships are hard, because they are often plagued by jealousy and pettiness. But with my girl cousins, there is none of that to be found. We are sisters, cousins, friends, cheerleaders. And we will all be better because of it.

Do I have to look far to see the source of all this goodness? Nope. My grandparents, my dad's parents, are faithful Christians who have prayed for years for all of their children and grandchildren. God has rewarded them with a loving, close, honest, real family. When I was little, I used to see the plaque in their kitchen, "The family that prays together, stays together." And I knew then, and I know now, that it's true. The basis for all of these good gifts, this family of mine, is the generous heart of God. We have honest pain, honest flaws, and honest brokenness in our family, don't get me wrong. But we are the most whole, loving family that I know. Dysfunction need not apply. We've got each other, and that is more than enough.