Family

Family, what is it? Yeah, we all have a mom and a dad, siblings...

But all growing up I thought I had the worse mom ever and a father that didn't love me and an amazing man that could have been my dad.

My mom loved me and I knew it, although she had a hard time showing it. The lack of rules and structure didn't help show that she cared at all; I was allowed to go out and party and stay out all night with friends whenever I wanted to. I'm sure she cared, but she sure had a funny way of showing it.

I had a wonderful man in my life growing up that I would gladly call my dad any day. Rick is amazing! I will never forget being little enough that he would pick me up and spin me around, and when we would dance, I would stand on his feet in the front yard. My nose would randomly bleed at school and when it wouldn't stop for twenty minutes Mrs. Nudd would send me home. One time no one was home and Rick came and got me! He knew just what I needed, natural yeast on popcorn and a movie!

Dad wasn't in my life until I was 16. I didn't really know he existed until I was 12. My family that I grew up with had nothing nice to say about him at all, but yet I still wanted to meet him and judge for myself. I came to Arkansas and met him, now he's my best friend.

So even though mom was terrible growing up, she cares so much, yet not at all. She will tell the world that she cares, and she must right, she's a mom she has to. My sister moves in and she moves out; has she given up on being a mom? Is that even legal?

Rick...well he's still there, and although we don't talk nearly as much as we used to, I love him none the less. We talked today for only about ten minutes, but I feel like we talked for hours! I love him so much and seeing him struggle has hurt, a lot, especially because he is one of the few people that has actually told me he was proud of me for going to college.

My daddy is the best! Yeah, we've had some though times, but we always get though them together. From the day I met dad he has always been there for me and supported me in everything I do. I tell dad everything, even if he doesn't want to know. He just listens, sometimes offers advice, sometimes just tells me he loves me, and sometimes is just quite. As long as I know he's listening he doesn't have to respond, just knowing he's listening means more than anything to me!

So all that rambling done--as dysfunctional as my family is I love them all and wouldn't trade them for the world!