Easter is coming up and Passover starts today and that means that many of us will be spending time with our families. I will be the first to admit that sometimes family can be challenging. I also think, though, that family can be pretty amazing. And that leads me to today’s Ten on Tuesday topic: Ten Things You Love About Your Family.
- Love. I love my family and my family loves me. With the kids it’s unconditional and I’m pretty sure it’s (mostly) that way with Dale, too. Sure, I may not like everything they do and every choice they make but the love is always there and that’s the bottom line.
- Loyalty. My family has my back. They may not always agree with me but they will defend me fiercely anyway.
- Laughter. We laugh a lot when we are together. We are silly and we tease each other. We tell jokes (Dale’s are bad) and we reminisce. And through it all we laugh.
- Fun. This goes hand in hand with laughter but we have fun together. We go to the beach, we fish, we camp, we hang out and we have fun doing it all.
- Holidays. It’s great to have an instant gathering when it comes to holidays. Some of you know that my 23 year old brother died in a motorcycle accident when I was 17. Shortly after that my grandparents died. Nothing is more depressing on Thanksgiving than realizing your family is dwindling. Dale’s family is large and I love gathering with all of them on holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions.
- Support. If I’m having a bad day or a need a hand with something or I just want to bounce an idea off someone I’ve got a bunch of people I can call. That is a great feeling.
- Companionship. I am never alone unless I want to be alone. Seriously, if I need someone to hang out with I’ve got some great people to choose from.
- Values. I will say right up front that I have had some heated political discussions with some of my family members. But we still share the same values. We respect the outdoors and the earth, we put family above all else, we work and contribute and take care of one another. We share values and that’s so important.
- Traditions. It’s my family that remembers that we have Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve and Swedish Cardamom bread on Christmas morning. Sharing those traditions (and so many others) is one of the ways we bond and that’s a really great thing.
- Longevity. My family is with me for the long haul and that’s something truly special considering that the only one in that photo up there that has known me for more than 14 years is Hannah.
I love that writing this post made me really think about what my family means to me. I hope it did the same for all of you.
Your list is definitely deeper than mine, but I would never say that my family is really close so I shouldn’t be surprised by that. Happy Tuesday!
It did. Thanks, Carole.
Your list is great and I think we all need to reflect on what truly is important to us. Family and values is tops on my list. I agree family can be
a bit overwhelming at times but after just watching one of my friend’s two daughter’s homes completely destroyed this weekend by the tornadoes that
hit and devasted many areas here in NC, they are fortunate to have their
parents close by to help out while they rebuild their lives and homes. One
family was not home at the time which was a blessing and the other family
barely got out right after it hit before their house completely collapsed which was another miracle. I think you list touched on every important
point and I love that you did this list. I did not know about your brother
and I am so sorry for your loss.
thanks, carole – this was a wonderful way to start my day! …you’ve definitely sparked some love today!
You have a lovely family and the bond you share is so strong. Thank you for sharing it. What I love about my family is I rarely see them. 🙂
Beautiful Carole! I’ve got to get back on the TOT train!
What a fantastic topic, and your list is great. I did not know about your brother, and I’m sorry. It must have been (and still be) a difficult loss. xxx
Great list, for a great family! Really made me think about how special family is, and how lucky I am to have mine. They may be dysfunctional sometimes … but they’re all mine 🙂
Wonderful family — wonderful post!
Lovely post.
Family. That is what is it all about isn’t it? Makes me realize my own family is dwindling down. Happy Easter!
Awwwwwwwwww…
I really love the list and the picture. Such a happy family picture.
Wonderful list! My favorite thing about my family is they’re like fudge…sweet and a little nutty. 😉
Wonderful list, Carole. I love that my family helps me maintain my sanity (usually!).
sorry this is a day late!