Family sticks together

Something I realised last night, was that I have a really close family. Not in the sense that we know every aspect of everyones lives. But more that we tend to spend a lot of time together, and through the tough times, we stick together.

This was especially noticeable when last night, after packing up the last of our childhood home we went back and stayed at my sister's house and after dinner mum, my brother and me (and of course the dog) came back and curled up in the room I was sharing with mum.

We didn't talk, we didn't need to do anything. But I think it was important for us to be together and get some space after such a big day.

Me and mum get along quite well, and have done so for a while now. We've moved from that mother-daughter relationship to more of equals over time. My brother is a lot like me, he needs his space, his privacy and is quite sensitive. But he can have his moments, when he will come in and jump on top of me when I'm lying in my bed reading.

Casper, the dog, is part of the family, sometimes more human than dog. He is having a hard time adjusting from his life of sleeping on the couch all day with the occasional run around the dam, to the constant play my sister's puppy wants. But he seems to be coping well, and enjoys walks in the new suburb.

My sister and her partner are a funny pair. My sister is younger than me, but always determined to do things first! She left school in year 11, went and studied Beauty Therapy, and has been working for the last 4 years in different areas. She was the party girl until she met her partner Chris who managed to settle her down, and within a year they had a house, a dog and a bird. Though the bird is gone now...Chris is big on family and friends, always up for something and managed to make himself a member of the family after spending the first night over. ( It was mother's day, he stayed and helped us make the traditional morning breakfast pancakes, and of course helped finish them off!)

I have a father. But I find it hard to think of him as part of this family. He has been away for most of our childhood, and is now divorcing my mother.

Seeing my mother hurt like that cut me to the quick. And having to act tough and tell her to move on, to let go, was the hardest thing I have ever done.

Then of course there is me. The quite, eccentric and blunt older sister. It's funny, because when you see the rest of the family together, except maybe my dad, you can really see the likeness. And they make a good looking family.

I'm the odd one out, I take after my dad's side of the family and am the only one overweight. People often don't realise that me, my sister and brother are related because we all look so different.

 This is my family. And I wouldn't change it for the world.