Chapter 1A - Family

 

        

        I come from a family that is not very close - I only speak to my siblings regularly. My parents weren't the best role models growing up, so I relied heavily on my older sister for most of my adolescence. I have three siblings: a brother, an older sister, and a younger sibling. My brother is 12 years older than me, 31 years old, and his name is Jared. My older sister is 8 years older than me, 28 years old, and her name is Becky. My younger sibling is two years younger than me, 18, and their name is Kayti. There was only a few times a year that all four of us were able to get together, but these times were always fun. We argue like many siblings do, but we support one another at the end of the day. 

     I am very close with one of my paternal aunts, Polly, and lean on her as a source of familial comfort. She understands my circumstances in ways that many others in my life cannot. She is always positive and willing to share a laugh. Additionally, my maternal grandparents (Brenda and Luther) are some of the family members I am closest with. They provided me with everything as a child and I am extremely grateful to have them in my life. They are my biggest blessing. 

    I have cousins on the East Coast of the United States but we don't really see each other frequently. I spent one summer with them as a child and a few more as a young adult but our interactions are brief. We never communicated growing up and don't really have a relationship with one another. 

    Christmas was always the biggest celebration in our house growing up. We weren't raised with a religious affiliation but we always participated to the fullest in the capitalistic tendencies of the holiday. It was really the only time that our parents made the effort to stop being angry for a short time so we could celebrate. One tradition we always did was getting matching pajamas to open on Christmas Eve so that we could wake up on Christmas Morning in a "Christmas Mood." This was my favorite tradition as a child and I always looked forward to matching. Below is a photo of my sister and I on Christmas Eve wearing matching jackets. 

Becky (Left) and I in 2018. 

Minion hiding in a closet. 

            Growing up I had two cats, Sox and Minion. They were my favorite creatures on the planet and were always so playful. One of the hardest parts about moving out was leaving them at home. I am not in contact with my parents, so I have not seen them more than once in three years. They are high energy animals but always loved to cuddle up for a good nap. 

Sox after a major summer haircut.