Everyday Family

August 6, 2014 (Draft that I decided to hit Publish on)

No family I know depends on a holiday, an occasion or a invitation to spend time together. Families... Sisters, brothers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins... Don't need a special occasion to get together. If I'm going to be somewhere, whether it's a store, park, picnic, cookout, or ANYWHERE and I think you'd also enjoy it, I'm going to invite you. And for the most part, in my family, everyone else does the same. We're a family and we do things together. No matter how random, uneventful and mundane... we do it TOGETHER.

I see my mom, on average, twice a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more. But I KNOW that it's not gonna be...(thinking of the next upcoming celebrated holiday) Labor Day? Columbus Day? Thanksgiving!!! It's not gonna be Thanksgiving before I can expect to hear from my mom again. Or my sister, or my grandparents. And I can consider that, quite possibly, I should give family members that operate differently than this a break but... Nah!
My life after marriage and Mali got a little hectic and I probably started visiting my grandma less than before. But because we're family (and she's crazy, lol) she's not going for me not visiting. And my grandfather, who isn't much of a talker really, instigated my not visiting. 

(I can imagine...) Pop pop to grandma: Tamika must be upset with you, she hasn't been over in awhile. OR
Grandma to Pop Pop: Tamika hasn't been over in awhile.
Pop Pop: She must be upset with you.

Grandma texts me: are you upset with me? You haven't been over in awhile. Your pop pop says you must be upset with me. 

My reply to grandma: FOOLISHNESS! Don't let pop pop try and break us up. I'm not upset, just been busy. Currently at a bday party with Mali and Ki. (Takes pic of Mali and a selfie with Ki and sends:)  

Note to self... Go visit grandma soon. 

And guess what? I appreciate that. I appreciate my grandparents checking me for getting too busy with life. I appreciate them noticing they hadn't seen me in awhile and calling me out on it. I appreciate them thinking about me and wanting to see me and loving when I visit. I appreciate them being active in my life, caring about me, and showing it. I appreciate them being everyday family. And same for my siblings. We do things together, and mostly sometimes, we do nothing together and that is just as rewarding. 

I even don't go too long without seeing my aunt. We have separate lives but if she needs me to be somewhere or do something, I don't mind showing up and being available. We make it so our separate lives meet up, cross paths, become joined lives. Life just won't pass and next thing I know it's Thanksgiving and I'm getting a text message with a "Happy Thanksgiving!" No! We're spending the weeks before Thanksgiving messaging back and forth planning to spend it together, cause... That's what families do. I don't know what I'd do without these people and I'm so thankful for them.
I'm going to miss my sister when she moves away, but it'll be distance not desire keeping us apart.

I am thankful for my "everyday family".