The Wage Mage and Her Family

Spence asked what family means to me. It's a good day to answer this, as I have been contemplating family over the past 12 or so hours. Yeah, even in my freaking sleep. As I posted earlier, it's a big family holiday today, and so my convoluted contemplative mind turns to this stuff naturally. Holidays in general do this to me, maybe it's the associations family holidays have come to take in my mind, and the reason I tend to get extremely introverted for a 72 hour period during Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. (Yet another of the Sidhe's issues, which is located in the Sidhe's Issues Library of Congress on the 124th floor on the 57th shelf from the left wall, next to the OH DEAR GOD, IT'S A ROACH, GET THE NAVY SEALS TO KILL IT LIKE A SOMALIAN PIRATE issue.) I'll warn you, I am a tad on the depressed side today, so if this comes out too weepy, I apologize.

Family. (Laughs and shakes head) Family are those people who can piss you the hell off, but you still love them. Family are those people you consistently take crap from, but you'd still give them a kidney. Family are those people that make you get in your car after a gathering, make you cuss so loud that even Loki tells you you're scaring him, then turn around the next day and drive out there again, because they asked you to.

I have two types of family. Let's start with the one I am genetically related to. I'd like to note that I blame my problems on being the result of pot and condom rubber. Dad was high, the condom broke. The sperm were stoned. I'd like to consider myself a product of divine providence because as much pot as I am sure my Dad smoked 31 years and 9 months ago, I have no clue how the sperm even got up the wherewithal to make it anywhere near the cervix, let alone the egg.

But I regress...

I come from a large Greek / Polish family, at least on my mom's side. I see them the most, okay, 99.9999999 percent of the time. My dad is of German / Scottish descent. My dad is very laid back. I could tell him I was joining a lesbian sheep worshiping cult, and I am pretty sure he'd be okay with it. He's a good guy. Most people who meet him tend to like him. My step mom is pretty cool too, mostly because she puts up with my Dad. If y'all ever wanted to find out where I got my slacker forgetful ADHD nature, let me introduce you to the paternal unit. Seriously. Those genes came from him.

My mom's side is the large Greek one. I am the oldest of 13 grandkids. Sunday dinner is a study in chaos, let me tell you. If you ever want to find out what my mom looks like, picture me, 21 years older. I have a good sister, married to a wonderful guy. (The only boyfriend of hers I could not scare off, he has better stories than I do, darn cops.) I have a niece and a nephew, my niece is said to be carbon copy of me at that age. I am sure that is a product of the “I hope your kid drives you as crazy as you did me” curse. Since I have no intention of procreating, the curse had to go somewhere. That side of the family is where I get my neurosis and high blood pressure from. But...

They're my family. For as much as they make me scream, I love them. I would do anything for them. I think Greek families are supposed to be a tad neurotic, Zoe might agree. They are my blood, I owe them my life.

Then there's the other family. These are people I have known for anywhere from 5 to 9 years, depending on when I met y'all. Yep, it's you guys. This is the family I have chosen. Yes, I will admit that some days I go “I chose THIS, what the hell was I smoking? I must have been smoking something to still be here.” It's because you're family. I have been honored and privileged to know you all, to watch your kids grow up, to go through happiness and sadness with you. I can't even imagine life without this group of people, like I can't imagine life without my family.

You all have saved my sanity a few times, a couple of you were there through my divorce and my grandfather's death, which tested the remainder of my sanity. I love you for that. I would be proud to do the same for you, because you too are my family.