Writing Challenge: My Family

Oh boy, I don't think the internet has enough room for me to go into too much detail concerning my family. As my family and close friends know, my family can be very complicated. There have been write-offs, changes of religion, and a host of not-so-good stuff that I will not divulge on the internet. However, those family members who do still remain in my life are strong and amazing people that I love dearly. I also am a firm believer in friends being the family you get to choose. I won't comment on them here though as I think I spotted a blog prompting about friends on my challenge list. Therefore, I will go into my family tree a bit, but understand some stuff stays private and some people are omitted for various reasons. Yes, news flash, you don't have to put your whole life story online for the world to see, even if you do have a blog. Just kidding, but not really... Basically, to know those intimate details of my family, requires a lot of time spent together, a lot of trust and an in-person conversation. I guess I'm "old school" like that (seriously, I need a sarcasm font).

I consider the head of my maternal family to be my great-great grandfather, Frank Gallegher. I am named after both him and his daughter, Dolores Gallegher Tuter. To be a Gallegher means lots of things but I am proud to carry the namesake. Frank was a hero of sorts, dying in a house fire after he helped rescue some people. He had several children but the only one I really know and that was really a part of my life was Dolores. Dolores was/is my great grandmother, but we shared a special bond. She helped raise me while my mother was in college and also working full time. She was a stubborn, tough woman who I consider some of my best and a few of my worst qualities to be inherited from. Dolores had two children with a man named Jack, whom I never knew. One was my grandmother, Frankie. The other was my great-aunt, Terry. Frankie is a very unconventional grandmother, but she can be a lot of fun! We have some of the best memories together including repeat viewings of Lion King and Scooby Doo, while eating salted apples (it's delicious, just trust me). Frankie taught me about a lot and stood by me always... and I can honestly say I wouldn't be the cook I am today without her help (Again, I really wish there were humor and sarcasm fonts...). Terry is a very fun aunt who I love spending time with. She is a great person to just talk to and she tells it like it is! She and my Uncle Jeff (who makes the best cherry pie in all the world and calls me Katelander) had two boys, named Justin and Ryan. When we were kids, Justin and I were closer and Ryan and I loved to fight. I have fond memories of both of them throughout my childhood, as we are closer in age than my mom and they are, despite the fact that we are technically second cousins. I remember riding on the pegs of Justin's bike and watching movies with him and my mom every Friday night. I remember sumo wresting with Ryan, and who could forget putting lipstick on him as he napped or the great pie fight of Thanksgiving? Frankie had my mom, Tonya. My mom is a lot of things, but words can't describe how much she has sacrificed for me or all the things we have been through. She can be really funny, is a die-hard sports fan, and I am so much like her at times that it causes us to butt heads but I love my mom as much as any daughter ever has. My mom had me, and then my two siblings, Kiera and Noah. I was 12 when Kiera was born, and 14 when Noah was. I love my siblings in a way I think a lot of siblings don't get to experience. I helped teach them how to read, swim and use manners. I took two years off of college to homeschool and help care for them as my mom worked as a traveling nurse. I vividly remember when both of them were born, and all of the experiences since. Kiera is a strong-headed, beautiful, sassy dancer with a heart of gold when it comes to animals! Noah is a nerdy, talented and sporty All-American boy who can be so helpful and compassionate. They are both like me and not like me in a lot of ways, but we always have the best time together! Then, I can't go without creating a special shout-out for my one and only Aunt Laurel! My Aunt Laurel is a really cool chick, who served in the U.S. Navy, never let me give her any lip and yet somehow always spoiled me rotten. There are others on my mom's side of the family but to talk about all of them would take days! All I can say is that I love all of the family who has chosen to stick around, even when the going got tough.

On my paternal side, things are a little more complicated. My parents married when they were very young, and both served in the army in Germany, which is where I was born. My father and I are not very close but I know he tried for many years and did the best he knew how to when he was in my life. His parents, my Grandma Ida and Papa, were beautiful people with the voices of angels! One of my most prized possessions is a CD of them singing. It has comforted me many a time. I don't have a lot of memories of them, as they both passed when I was very young, but their kindness and faith left lasting impressions on me. Then, there is my Uncle Brian and Aunt Mickie. These two have always served as some of my biggest role models! My aunt is kind, patient and loving in a way that you just don't see too much of anymore. She holds a special place in my heart, as someone whom I know has loved me unconditionally since the day I was born. I truly think that, if I can end up being half the woman she is and love even half as fully as she does, my life will be truly blessed (I actually just teared up as I wrote that...). My uncle stepped up in a lot of roles for me, and words can not express how grateful I am for him, all of his goofiness included. They have five beautiful children, all of whom I love and respect greatly. They are some of the most talented, most faithful, and kindest people I have ever met. My aunt's family, be it her mother, sister, or father always welcomed me in with open arms and hearts...I am forever grateful for that and honored to know them. Again, there are many others on this side of the family...some I didn't know very well, some I didn't know at all, but the blessing in disguise here is that the family I do know and have a relationship with is even more precious and cherished to me.

Overall, I just hope to make my family proud. I hope to be there for them in all the ways those who have, have always been there for me. I will end with one of my favorite quotes of all time. Jim Butcher said, through writing in his amazing series The Dresden Files, "I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching, they are your family."