…….. are the really, really good friends. Have you ever heard of Dunbar’s Number? Here’s another post about it. Friends that I eat with are friends. We have all sorts of friends on Facebook and Twitter. Thousands of friends – … Continue reading
Phone numbers used to be an identity marker. Growing up, I knew everyone’s phone number. I had it all memorized. I knew all of our numbers. I knew all of my aunt’s and uncle’s numbers. I knew phone numbers of … Continue reading
I quite enjoy my Uncle Lem identity. I wrote about my Unco Wem Identity once before, but there’s a dark side. Let me start though by saying that I absolutely love being Unco Wem. It’s the best. I get to … Continue reading
I was listening to a talk this am, and the speaker was an artist who had asked the questions – What would it be like to attend your funeral? Of course, we will all attend our funerals – at least … Continue reading
I officiated a wedding yesterday. Is that what you call it when you are the Officiant at the wedding? I don’t know how many I’ve done but this one was fun. First of all – it was family. Second of … Continue reading
I wrote a post once on Quitting Your Identity. Just like you can’t quit an identity, you can’t quit your family. Whether you marry into one or you grow up with one, you can’t quit your family. Your father – … Continue reading
……can tell you so much about who you are. I can’t believe how much I continue to learn about who I am and who my family is. At dinner tonight, my dad shared some of the hardships that my family … Continue reading
I have met so many family members that I have never met face to face – on Facebook. I’m talking to cousins and relatives all over the world. I can get to know them because of this whole Facebook thing. … Continue reading
I grew up here. This is the view from my window. It’s always great to see this in real life – and there’s no way a camera can capture the beauty of it – and the sounds of all the … Continue reading
Whether you have a close family or a disconnected family, it’s impossible to separate your identity from your family. In fact – no matter what you’re family is like – strong, dysfunctional (and every family is), big family, small family, they shape your identity.
Whether you like it or not; whether you acknowledge it or not – all of that has been shaped somehow because of your family. You carry the brand. You carry the name. You are marked by all of it.
The thing is, you had no say as to what family you were born into and what type of family it was. Be who you are – proudly. Become the best you.
I am representing SDCC today (www.sdcc.edu). I’m at a college fair for 12 hours today. I was thinking about this though, we all represent someone or something.
You represent yourself.
You represent the school that you go to or the place you work.
You represent your family.
You represent your people.
You represent your God.
You represent your friends.
You even represent things that you may not know that you represent. It’s unfair sometimes, but it’s life.
Represent. Represent to the best of your ability and your expectations. It’s not always possible to hit other’s expectations of you, but we represent nonetheless.
Who do you represent?
My wife has half siblings – a brother and twin sisters. We haven’t spent much time with them. They came to our wedding, and Candice’s wedding. We went to their mom’s wedding, and have hung out with them a few times beyond that. Haven’t hung out with them more than a handful of times, but they are family. I love all of them as if I’ve known them for forever. They are family. They are a part of my life, and love them all. Billy and Megan live in California with their grandparents (actually, Billy is on his own), and Mallory lives in Florida with her mom. I got to hang out with Mallory yesterday, and she looks so much like Danielle.
Because they all had the same dad as my wife, in many ways they all look like her. They are all built like Danielle. Seeing Mallory yesterday was what it would have been like to see and know Danielle years before I met her. It was so awesome to hang out with Mallory. It was like having a little sister all over again. I love that girl.
It’s amazing to me that I feel a strong sense of family and love for them – even though I haven’t hung out with them. I have identified them as family. There’s nothing I can do to not make them family. They’re stuck with me. The bond of family is strong. They are a part of my life. They are a part of my identity. I have a half-sister in law that lives in Florida. She’s pretty awesome.
Here’s a picture of her. Check out how much she looks like DC.
