My four grown daughters and I have a wonderful relationship. We truly are each others best friends. We all feel the same way about my two daughters-in-laws, but there is one aspect I share with the girls I birthed that Dani and Amanda missed out on. If the five of us are around each other too long, we can get annoyed with one another, then a few minutes later we are laughing hysterically about our drama and it becomes another great memory.
A perfect example was this weekend as we were getting ready for and having our big garage sale. First of all, we didn’t allow enough time to organize the huge amount of items we had and we couldn’t agree on the best way to price items. Karen was appalled at how much stuff she had and kept saying we should just call the show Hoaders, Buried Alive, and sign her up. About an hour before opening time, someone drove up. Stacie said, “Well, we’re not ready, we need to tell them to come back at 5:00.” Karen said, “No! That’s “so and so,” I told her she could come early because she lost her mother.” We just looked at her because we thought that was a rather odd thing to say. Within seconds more and more people came and we had an entire garage full of people and we hadn’t even put prices on anything yet. This stressed a couple of us out, but we got a system going and things were moving along fairly smoothly. Before we knew it, the first night sales were over and everyone went home to get a good nights sleep in order to start-up again the next morning at 7:00.
The people trickled in a little slower this time around, but we still had a lot going on. My mamma was here and bless her heart she wanted to be right in the action so we were always on guard to make sure she wouldn’t trip on a toy or try going down the steps by herself. It is also very entertaining the things she will add to a conversation! As things were winding down, we were all visiting in the living room. We started talking about different things and how we feel about them. Epidurals vs natural births. Cloth diapers vs disposable ones. Buying in bulk to prepare for hard times vs not worrying about it. Making our own natural products vs just getting it at the store. That is when we sometimes get a little defensive. We start thinking the ones who don’t agree with us are implying we are wrong in the way we do things. Put this on top of being around each other, along with thirteen children, for almost twenty-four hours straight, and we all got just a little testy.
I have to admit, I was the worse one. I took one of the babies and went outside to sit in a lawn chair. Stacie came out to see if I was OK. I knew even then, that I was being ridiculous, over-dramatic, and immature. She didn’t have a lot of sympathy for me. I told her she was a horrible comforter. Within five minutes we were all packing things up and putting everything back in the garage so we could close the door. We all started laughing at each other and ourselves and before long we were wiping tears from our eyes from laughing so hard. That is how each and every one of the disagreements we have end, in laughter. And I am so grateful. First of all, it makes for great memories. Second of all, I remember reading once, that a family who doesn’t have enough passion to get upset with one another now and then, is not a very close-knit family. Because the passion and emotion that makes them care enough to be annoyed, is the same passion that makes them fiercely love and defend each other. I read that when my kids were young and that is a thought that I have held onto through toddler fights and teenage screaming matches over borrowed clothes, and it still holds true today. Here is a copy of the post my oldest daughter Kristi put as her Facebook status that night. I know most people who read it had no idea what most of it meant, but it just increased our laughter and made the memory even better!
Sitting here thinking about My Big Wonderful Family. We are crazy and loud. There is a child crying, or hiding, but usually giggling, or all the above in every room. One of us likes pain, the rest of us LOVE Epidurals. Two of us like to swish dirty diapers in the toilet, the other two thinks this is absolutely nuts. Some of us boil flax-seed to make hair gel, some of us just go to Dollar General. Some of us buy peanut butter in 50 gal drums, but a jar at a time, regardless of any price increase, suits the rest of us just fine. But, despite our differences we are always there to comfort each other. Well, all but one of us and she really stinks at comforting. Mix this in with a senile 98-year-old woman and there is absolutely no other place on earth I’d rather be! So glad one of them is also a hoarder and wants to comfort the grieving with early shopping at her garage sale so I could spend this weekend with all of them! Love you guys!
Simple Life Blessings 