2 Sides

I was thinking that it is so funny how the two sides of my family are totally different. Each of them are unique in their own ways and see a different side of me.

My Dad's side just happen to be non-members of the Church so it's always been different with them. From sweet tea offered a million times by my grandpa and singing in Church without a piano on Sundays when I would visit as a kid-- I always remember I felt different around my Dad's family. But that didn't mean I didn't love them any more or any less than my Mom's. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a kid because we were so close to Huntsville. Those were some good times and I always liked eating ramen soup in grandma's red bowls and putting iodized salt on my eggs... haha I remember holidays with my Aunt and Uncle and cousin. Music, gifts, talking, and not a lot of food. It's funny to look at my Dad's family now... sadly, most of them are gone and all that remains is my Aunt, cousin, sister, and myself. On holidays we still get together and have a good time but things have just changed since there aren't as many of us. The table is full of memories and laughter but misses the people who made us whole. But I would say we all share a love for The Golden Girls on this side of the family. Those four old women are just too funny, ironically the first time I saw the show was at my Grandma's house because I thought it was a cartoon... sadly I was mistaken and addicted.

My Mom's side of the family is a totally different story. As members of the Church we agree and are able to relate to each other on various levels. Holidays consist of Ma's homemade dressing in an aluminum pan from the dollar tree, ham, green bean casserole, rolls, drinks, jello pretzel salad, Ma's jello, and let me tell you, the food on ANY occasion is BOUNTIFUL. Typical get-togethers consist of talking a little in the living room, blessing the food, eating the food around a table while reminiscing about the same stories I have heard a million times, mentions of "PAULLLL", dozing off while a select few continue to talk and laugh and the other two siblings decide to look through old pictures for the upteenth time, and then we eat again. I am grateful to this side of the family for my crazy sense of humor. We're definitely from the South. Loud, country folk, crazy stories, a lot of laughter, and food.

I love both sides of my family and I'm grateful for the influences they have on me. I can see how I'm like both of my parents in different family situations. But most of all I'm grateful for the differences that are in my family because sometimes, too much of one side is too much to handle. haha