It is Day 30 of the Super Gratitude Challenge which means, only one more day to go.  Today I am going write about how grateful I am for the experience of having a great family.  Not everything in my life was perfect but there are a lot of things to be grateful for and I want to share just a few.

My Grandparents

I was fortunate to have a relationship with all of my grandparents, which was unique and I treasure.  I also had the great good fortune of knowing all but one of my great grandparents as  well.  This extended family connection allowed me to be spoiled and feel like I was the center of a lot of people’s lives.

There were so many things that I was taught by these people, from how to behave myself and be polite when company came to the value of honesty and doing what you say.   The greatest gift that each of them gave me in a different way was to tell me that to them, I was special and had the potential to do about anything.  One by one, they passed away over the years and are all gone now, but their lessons live on in my heart and will for my life.

The Parents

Like most people in adulthood, we look at our parents with a knowing understanding.  They were never going to be perfect, and my parents weren’t.  But they did give me a safe and happy childhood. I was never abused, or neglected and felt again like my life mattered significantly to them.  It still does today.

My father was a school teacher and coach and shared a love of sports with me and my siblings that still exists today.  It is a way that we can relate to each other.   My mother is a minister and she is still preaching every Sunday.  Even though I don’t agree with her religious beliefs, she doesn’t push them on me.  She is a thinker and writes and well, so do I.  I got great gifts from each of them.

Sibling Appreciation

Well these people are the ones who have shared the common experience of growing up.  There aren’t many people who really know what that means, but they each do.

All relationships are formed over a common experience, school, work, a hobby or your family life and siblings are the ones who really know who you are.  I am grateful for  the experiences of childhood, even though they involved a lot of arguing and many disagreements, there were a lot of shared moments of special times that even today are fondly remembered.  I was one of four and that in itself made me part of a unique group.  All of my family have first names that begin with the letter J.

So there it is, on Day 30 of this gratitude challenge I am thankful for all of my family members, those who have passed on and those that are still around.

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