Tell me of your family make up...immediate and extended and if applicable in-laws

do you get along?
do you just tolerate each other?
do your children play together?
who lives the closest to you?
who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?
were you adopted?
what is your role in the family?
how often do you see each other?

for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your children gravitate toward?

"Holier than thou never sits well with me."(c)janey

"OKP spends way too much time looking for ways to be offended." ~legsdiamond


http://twitter.com/jeleighbean

>Tell me of your family make up...immediate
2 brothers, one older, one younger. All raised primarily by mom.

>do you get along?
Immediate-yes
Extended-yes

>who lives the closest to you?
My brothers, mother and I have managed to live within a few miles of each other
the majority of our adult lives- by choice. We have major love for one another.

>who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?
Extended family is all over the map. Can't really call if this is a result of
friction or just life determining these people's paths.

>what is your role in the family?
Definitely the mediator growing up. Intermittently, serving as the instigator/ contrarian...
generally from filling the role of devil's advocate in a family that prides itself on
seeing things in black and white terms.

>how often do you see each other?
Every Sunday we have dinner together. The last 2-3 years some of our cousins have
joined the tradition even though they live in other cities throughout Texas.

in the past few days people who haven't spoken in years have done so

folks are getting over what was a genuine spirit of "I'm DONE"

it not all "soul food" by any stretch

but nevertheless its miraculous

it appears that forgiveness is contagious

>it appears that forgiveness is contagious
that's a blessing I hope the trend continues!

"Holier than thou never sits well with me."(c)janey

"OKP spends way too much time looking for ways to be offended." ~legsdiamond


http://twitter.com/jeleighbean

there has been some straight up heinous stuff that has gone down

(stuff that would curl your toes)

and yet DECADES old stuff is thawing

i spoke with my sister this morning and had to hold my tongue as she talked

but we spoke

this post is so timely its creepy (I'll take it as a confirmation..)

since you really spoke with your sister?

"Holier than thou never sits well with me."(c)janey

"OKP spends way too much time looking for ways to be offended." ~legsdiamond


http://twitter.com/jeleighbean

(my family is ALL kinds of messed up....like REALLY messed up)

not to overtell, but some things have occurred that were hits that I kept having to steel myself from

there are drug issues

there has been actual abuse from when we were kids

extremely damaging things have been said

and that's just the stuff she did to me

she has done things to our other siblings, and even her own kids

really.bad.things

a year ago she did something and I was like "I'm done" and meant it

i wasn't bitter, or angry, just on some "I can't anymore"

I sincerely had NO desire at all...just didn't care anymore

then yesterday morning (true story) something happened and I got convicted, then later yesterday my brother called me to tell me how HE had spoken to another sister whom he had been sharing all-out war for about three years, and that caused him to call the sister I was estranged from. he said I needed to fix things (and I already intended to) because her situation had worsened

i almost talked myself out of it. talking to HIM reminded me who/what it was I was talking about re-engaging and that took all kinda air out of my sails

then this morning I again felt the conviction/pressure to just call. I didn't have to do anything but be obedient and the rest would take care of itself

so I dialed

>Tell me of your family make up...immediate and extended and
>if applicable in-laws

6 sisters (4 half and two step)
father and mother in law

>do you get along?

yes but i speak to some more than others

>do you just tolerate each other? no genuinely love all of em

>do your children play together?

yes

>who lives the closest to you?

oldest step sister lives like 30 minutes away

>who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?

it would be petty to design living from anyone lol
oldest half sister lives in atl and i live in northern va

>were you adopted?

no

>what is your role in the family?

good male role model

>how often do you see each other?

4 or 5 times a year...Just did christmas together


>for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your
>children gravitate toward?

dont really understand the question
he gets excited to see the kids could care less about adults

______________________________________

Navem nu, cuando sol
Tutu nu, vondo nos nu
Vita em, no continous non
Nos nu ekta nos sepe ta, amen

When the sun shades the ship
We sweat and life is not safe
To swim or to touch not
When we unite we hedge amen

>>for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your
>>children gravitate toward?
>
>dont really understand the question
>he gets excited to see the kids could care less about adults

Like do they like being around her family more or your family more?

"Holier than thou never sits well with me."(c)janey

"OKP spends way too much time looking for ways to be offended." ~legsdiamond


http://twitter.com/jeleighbean

______________________________________

Navem nu, cuando sol
Tutu nu, vondo nos nu
Vita em, no continous non
Nos nu ekta nos sepe ta, amen

When the sun shades the ship
We sweat and life is not safe
To swim or to touch not
When we unite we hedge amen

I just like being my own person. Own thoughts. Own feelings. Own life. Separate. Thats my nature.


Raised Primarily by my mother ( always had the choice to live with my father but he he's too strict- may have been good for me in retrospect)
2 Older sisters- I'm the only boy. So i had to fight for my own skin.

I feel that everyone is pretty much close for the most part. I've always felt like I was the black sheep from my family so I separated myself emotionally early on. But as I approach my late 20s Id like to bridge the gap.

Our family has been blessed to not have many deaths. ( Could probably count on one hand in my lifetime) So i keep getting the urge to build a deeper relationship before its "too late" - my grandmas 75th birthday was yesterday.

I may make that a goal before the end of the year to travel up to seattle.

But my childhood was filled with so many good memories with my family as well that I'm almost TERRIFIED to taint them with changes that life brings. I want to remember my cousins as us playing hide and seek at 8 years old rather than whatever the hell they are doing or NOT doing NOW. ( A couple of them have developed mental disorders. would probably kill me to see that up close)

so basically they seem close- but I'm not a part of that circle- by choice.

>Tell me of your family make up...immediate and extended and
>if applicable in-laws

With my mom, it's just me and my older sister. Pops remarried. So, I have 2 younger sisters and one younger brother. My partner is the oldest of 7. So, his fam is now in the mix.

>do you get along?

I get along with everyone, but I keep my distance.

>do you just tolerate each other?
Nah, there's love there, but I'm closer with my older sister, b/c I didn't grow up w/ my younger siblings.

>do your children play together?

I close with my niece from my older sister. I don't really know my other nieces and nephews, mainly b/c their parents have never left the KY, OH, IN area and I never really have a reason to go out there. Add to that, I'm the only one out here in SoCal.

>who lives the closest to you?

Nobody. I don't live near any fam.

>who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?
Their about even distance. It wasn't really by design. It's just how things worked out.

>were you adopted?

I used to think so, b/c I felt so different from everyone else. I'm not, though.

>what is your role in the family?

I've always been a rational voice. I'm still that for those who confide in me.

>how often do you see each other?

I haven't seen my younger siblings in like 10 years. I saw my older sister before I left TX.

>for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your
>children gravitate toward?

There's no competition there, really. They have different extended families.

http://soundcloud.com/forestbrooks

>Tell me of your family make up...immediate and extended and
>if applicable in-laws

It's me and my sister who's seven years younger, she has an 8 month old and I think got a divorce. Mom and dad are still together. Dad has two brothers he barely speaks to because they're kinda crazy. He still has four aunts and two uncles but we lost my grandma in 2008; that shit hurt us all. Mom is the youngest of 7, 4 sisters and two brothers. Granny is still around but grandad isn't.

Jessica is an only child and her parents are divorced but friends. Her mom has a bunch of brothers and sisters. Her dad only has a sister left and maybe an aunt.

>do you get along?
>do you just tolerate each other?

I tolerate my sister at this point. I don't trust her ass and barely like her. I don't think she makes smart life choices, that she's a dumb person, and puts all of us in shitty situations.

>do your children play together?
N/A

>who lives the closest to you?
Her dad lives about twenty miles up the road, I'm out on this coast solo: everyone is in Texas.

>who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?
Me from everyone. Not by design but choice. Houston had grown too small for me in a lot of ways.

>were you adopted?
No

>what is your role in the family?
Trailblazer

>how often do you see each other?
Every week or so on skype.

>for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your
>children gravitate toward?

------
“There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn.” -Albert Camus

>>do you get along?
^^For the most part. I TRY to get along with my father in law, but it's complicated; her mom's side of the family don't fk with him at.all.

>do you just tolerate each other?
^^ Nah we all pretty cool; I probly tolerate a couple folk on HER side, but I'm sometimey anyway, so there's THAT.

>do your children play together?
^^ Yes.

>who lives the closest to you?
^^my Cousin on my father's side or my little bro; it's a toss up.

>who lives the furthest from you? was it by design?
^^Mom, sister, niece and stepfather; #LifeComesAtYouFast

>were you adopted?
^^ Nah

>what is your role in the family?
^^ Black Sheep/Smart kid/The one who everybody's mad at for underachieving.

>how often do you see each other?
^^ immediate fam - holidays; extended fam - when there's a tragedy :-\

>
>for those of you with kids, which side of the family do your
>children gravitate toward?
^^ pretty even

IG: amadu_me

"...Whateva, man..." (c) Redman