Family

I'm trying to write an English practice essay. As you may have guessed, it's going pretty well.....(oh well)


Family (I only just decided on this now, so bear with me if I don't ever get to a point). 
I often find myself cringing at my family - they are loud. Oh so loud...I have an uncle (great-uncle actually, but who cares) who has a habit of telling everybody what to do (yes, yes, don't say it, I'm working on 'suggesting' less), in a rather abrasive manner. I have another great-uncle, who despite being a massive source of inspiration for me artistically, has battled (and in my opinion not successfully) alcoholism and prescription drug use, and who has a wife who in my opinion enables him. 
And that's only on my mother's side. 
My father's family is equally strange, although in different ways, being a distant and not particularly emotionally communicative bunch. I was on the phone to my sister many months ago about an ongoing problem I have with my father (not a particularly nice partner), and she said to me 'I love you so much'. And that is one of my treasured memories. 

Yet. 
My sister came to my art show on Tuesday, and was so overwhelmingly pleased for me when I won an award. She also made this amazingly awesome birthday lunch for me yesterday, and is sewing a dress for my valedictory for me. 
My uncle and aunt will often take us out for lunch when my grandparents are off traveling (in their 70s and 80s and still driving around Australia), and his son was the previous owner of my car (oh my god I have a car!!!). Before they handed the car over to me, my cousin (or cousin once-removed, I get confused) made sure the car was buffer rinsed, they put champagne in it (don't worry kiddies, I didn't drink and drive), and created the bow that went on the bonnet. 
My other aunt and uncle came in despite living in the country, and being octogenarians - and feeble ones at that  because it was my 18th birthday (despite possibly causing more problems in coming in but it's the thought that counts).  


Do you see what I'm getting at here? 


My friends also, I consider the family who you simply find in life (they're slightly less mad than my family). They are the ones who came over to my house on the morning of my birthday to feed me cake and make me pancakes (they're awake at 3am texting each other the new plan for coming over to feed me cake and pancakes because the old plan failed). They came over in the day to drop off a present even though I was seeing them that night. They're the ones who have stayed up until three in the morning with me because I was upset over something and needed the support. They're the ones who simply say 'I'll be there in 15 minutes' when I'm feeling down, or bring me chocolate because I broke up with my boyfriend and may be upset about it. 


Getting the picture? 


And yes, with friends, you have problems to, when you sort of think, 'I wish they hadn't done that'. But that becomes unimportant in the face of what they DO do that matters, that is hugely, wonderfully amazing. And it's the same with blood relatives. 


This is a piece of advice my mother (god bless her and my hugely bi-polar relationship with her) gave me. "You have to accept people the way they are, and love them despite their faults, because everything that they do do for you balances this out." And as much as I hate to admit it, although it's ok to, because I don't think she has ever read my blog, or indeed, knows where to find it, she is right. 


And I think I have a pretty goddamn awesome family.