Family; a group of people living under one roof with a common ancestry usually under one head. That's my layman's term for family. To me it's really more than that. It's the bond that you don't share with other people. Family is everything and you should cherish them. It's the unconditional love that your have in between the structure. From the patriarch and matriarch down to the smallest of children the family love is felt. You know when you're down and the family sticks together through it all. It's amazing, seriously.

I remember growing up with my family and how tight we used to be. My family is awkwardly huge. My great grandfather had 17 children and to each of his own started their own family. My grandmother had 8 children and as well those children started their own multi-children families. I have a billion cousins from my grandmother's legacy. I couldn't sit here and name everyone without forgetting some. My grandmother has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. It would be absolutely amazing to get everyone together in one setting. I highly doubt that would happen anymore.

Sundays were always big. We all went to the same church and we'd meet up at my Uncle Raymond's house afterward. My Aunt Darlene, his wife, couldn't cook to save her ass. That's because she's white. If you see her you wouldn't know. I have no idea why her skin is so dark and her hair is quite coarse. She looks like a light skinned black woman. Anyway, she couldn't cook. So every woman in my family would go in the kitchen and cook for her and show her how to make stuff. Then we'd all sit around and eat. The children would go in the living room and watch TV and play games while the adults drank, laughed, told jokes and were merry.

If Sundays were always like that, imagine how big the holidays were. Everything was always at my Uncle Raymond's house and it was huge. Even small holidays that have little to do with family like Halloween. One year he built this haunted house in his basement and I was so terrified to go down there. Ironically enough my costume was Superman. Lol, I couldn't fend away and bad guys. I was too afraid of them.

Next came thanksgiving. Hmm, hmm, hmm! My mouth is watering thinking about it. We'd always get around the table and hold hands and say why we were thankful just like any other family would. The thing is, my family would be stretch from around the table all the way through the living room. It was so bittersweet to be near the table if you were a kid. The problem is, they always started at the head of the table with my grandma and went around. Once everyone got through the table and out to the living room with what they're thankful for you would be the first to eat though! I remember my Uncle Raymond told my cousin Eric to say "God is good, God is great. If God so great, why we ain't ate?" - OMG! My grandma had a fit. That was the biggest set up ever. But even after it's all said and done, we all sat around and joked until the itis kicked in! Now everyone's on their way out and sleep. Parents are carrying their children and laying them in the backseat. Man, those were the days.

Finally! The big one we've all been waiting for... CHRISTMAS! It's something about Christmas that makes family close and warm. I think it's the gifts, but that's just me. You have to be nice to the aunt that you never liked so she'd get you something. It's the rule. My Uncle Butch and his wife, Auntie Jackie, would always buy me the best stuff. Unfortunately, they've both passed on due to cancer. I miss them. Anyway, man - Christmas was crazy. My mom would always have the tree laid out for me. I grew up as the only child so I didn't have to share any of my gifts. I mean, it sucked because I'd get things that you needed two people to play and I didn't have anyone to play with. Maybe my friends. I remember my mom got me laser tag with this machine that you could shoot with. Eh, it didn't work. That sucked. Maybe I didn't hook it up right. I'd always get the best games. I remember once on Christmas eve my mom told me to go open the box with the bear wrapping on it so I could get something to wear for that day and it wasl ike 4 outfits in the box but under all of the clothes was the game I had been begging for! Then the next day there was this HUGE box. I thought it was a drum set. I always wanted one. I mean, it wasn't a drum set - but it was a good 15 gifts in there. She tricked me. Each gift was something that I had always wanted. Every year I would get a race car. Not a little cheap one either. I miss those days.

Sadly, once my Uncle Raymond died in 2003 my whole family fell apart. We didn't have much of a male role in our family so he played the patriarch. I seriously miss having a close family. No one talks today. I don't get a phone call from anyone. It's like we go months-years without speaking or seeing each other. I called my cousin Jay(gray "north" shirt up top) to see what he was doing one day and I found out that my little cousin Bird(blue sweatshirt) was pregnant. Bird was always the good one out of us all. To make it so bad, she was 8 months pregnant and it was her baby shower that day. That was kind of heartbreaking. It's like, wow? No one told me anything? We don't keep in touch at all. It's sad, honestly. My birthdays are always lonely, as well as my holidays. I don't have a family to spend those with. I just sit in the house alone and think about the old days. I think if you have family you should spend every moment with them because you never know when you'll end up in a situation like I am. If something happens, I don't have a damned person to call.

I look to have my own family one day. I want to teach them the things that my family taught me. I'd love to give them the love that my family gave me for the years that they did. My children will always have a family to come home to and a place to spend their holidays. Every Sunday we'll have a big dinner just to keep the connection alive. I'm not asking that we eat at the same table every night. I mean it'll be like 2020 then, you know? Who still will be doing every night 1950 family dinners. It sounds fun, but realisitically I don't think it will be. Just one day of the week. Church on Sunday and then dinner together. That sounds nice. I hope my wife will agree. I mean, she'll have to cook and what not. Lol, of course I'd help.

Memories of my family.