Yeah, I spent last night with my blood relatives, mostly those from my mother’s side of the family. And we had a very nice evening with very good food. We had a gift exchange and took pictures and played with the kids and welcomed a few new members to the family.
But my time with that family is not what I will remember about this Christmas.
Because this year, santa/God/the universe, brought me more than I could have ever thought to ask for. I have another family. And we share so much more than the occasional meal.
We share our joy and pain
We share our whips and canes
We share our hopes and fears
And sometimes wine and beers
We share our deepest desires
Which in our hearts burn as fires
We share our courage to try
Instead of running to hide
My family is not just my cousins or aunts
It’s those who push me to fight past the “can’t”s
Those that show me what I can become
Those that restore when I start to feel numb
With them, I can let go of falsely facades
For them, I will gladly face terrible odds
By them, I am challenged, the wind at my back
In them, I can see the true home that I lack
Thank you to family present and past
I hope that our memories won’t be the last
But if our two paths never cross ways again
Remember with fondness both laughter and pain
I have been blessed with this family that loves me
And helps me to be what I know that I should
I don’t know if I’ve been changed for the better
But, because I knew you, I have been changed for good
-Cross, 12-25-10 (With 2 lines from Stephen Schwartz’s “Wicked”)
(We’ll be back to your regularly scheduled programming after the new year)