I have an Aunt and Uncle who, for my entire life, have been my models of sane and good parents. They have cared for me the way that my birth parents should have done but unfortunately, they didn't have the authority or power to just make it official and be my legal parents. But they are the ones that I call my mom and dad.
They are really good parents and they are into parenting. They have given birth to 3 children from their own biology, but they have adopted others so that there are 7 children with the same last name. And then there are my sister and me, who they count as their own -- They call me their eldest daughter. When I was 15, I wished more than anything that they could adopt me and that I could live with them in their house with them.
It's a strange family set up. It's even stranger because my dad (not my birth father, but my real dad) is a Baptist minister. He has been either a minister or on his way to becoming one since I've known him (and he's almost always been in my life). My family is deeply and faithfully christian -- more deeply and faithfully than any other group of people that I've ever known. They represent a paradox for me -- they are all extremely intelligent, but they have the kind of faith that tells them that god is interested in every movement, every moment. Those two characteristics just don't jive for me. In fact, the idea of god being interested in what I'm doing but not doing anything to stop the bad stuff really gives me the heebeejeebees. Really.
But I love these people so much. They have loved me and protected me and they can't wait to come see me and my husband, even though they know that we don't believe that they believe. And for them, that belief is not the kind of thing that they can just agree to disagree about -- this is real-eternal-life-business to them. I don't know how they've worked it out that we are OK... I suspect that they are praying for us every day that we'll see the light and convert. I don't know though, because they don't say those things to us and we just don't discuss it. We also certainly don't discuss the fact that my husband and I marched at the March for Women's Lives or that we voted for a different president than they did. Somehow, we've implicitly decided among us that we are not going to focus on those big differences.
When we're together, I feel loved. I don't feel like I have to do anything differently except laugh and relax and enjoy the craziness. Because you know with that many people, it's really just crazy. But the good crazy, not the crazy crazy.
So with my parents and my 7 brothers and sisters from that family, that sounds like it would be 9 people. One of my sisters has 2 little boys -- and at least one of them (the 3 year old) is on his way right now. But my sister from Boston is also coming tonite and she's bringing her freshly minted fiance and her 2 soon-to-be step-children ( my soon-to-be niece and nephew!). So that brings the total to about 15 people. My husband is freakin' out.
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6 comments:
There is a lot to comment on this. But right off the bat let me selfishly concentrate on my freak out. I hate to have it sell short: You tally 15, but I think you are forgetting their foreign exchange student.
You are absolutely right.. I realize that you and I are approaching this visit from completely different places and that's a little odd for us.
You have every right to focus on your freak out. I'm gonna focus on the 15 people coming.
I want streaming video, digital photo's, police reports and all medical records spurring from the next seven days.
If this works out maybe my family should have their reunion at your house too. Don't you guys have a padded room in the basement now?
I'm gonna focus on the remaining one. And then I'm gonna transfer my freak out onto him/her until they decide to head back to whatever damned country he/she comes from in the first place.
Sylow, if you ever expect our house to be a haven of comfort to you again, you'd better stop threatening us with your family!
I did it again, didn't I, Sparklebaby... there are 16 people coming. But there won't be 16 people there at once... unless you're counting me and you...
But Miss Kate, I'm not threatening you. I'm offering you an opportunity to lend you talents in my ongoing battle with the stupid people who claim to be the genetic origin of my existance.
Remember an opportunity, not a burden. :)
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