Creating Family...

So, I've been thinking lately about what it means to be family... I mean obviously there's always the family that "you can't choose"... and we all have those people in our family. I'm blessed that none of them are my immediate family haha :) Once a long time ago my mom and I were talking while I was getting ready to peace out for Ohio for the summer for camp. We were talking and I was admitting to her that I wasn't sure how I was gonna do, would I like it, get along, be able to handle "life on my own," etc..etc.. My mom looked at me and smiled as though I was so precious and like she knew something I was not aware of yet... and she simply said "Krista, you create your family wherever you go." I kinda laughed at her and explained how she was only partially right... and let it go. Then I went to camp, and low and behold.. I did. I made a couple best friends, learned more than I can express, and discovered I can be self sufficient. :)

Somewhere in my college career I was talking with my dad after one of our epic "Daddy Dates" (aka... food... movie.. lots of talking), and I was explaining to him my heart and how much I have this desire to go out and change the world.. It's like this burning passion inside of me, and how I didn't know if I could do it... because at the EXACT same time I was terrified to leave my family. What if something happened to one of them? What if I missed everything important that could ever happen in their lives... What if I gallivanted around the world, and miss the most important thing back home. I was so worried. And my dad smiled at me with the you're precious, and I see what you don't kinda look... and he said "Krista, I would rather have you just visit us here at home and know every day that you are out there changing the world, cause that's what you were made to do... Rather than be here with us every day knowing you should be out there changing the world." That was it. I was now free to go, I knew my brothers and sister would not be happy, but I now essentially had the blessing of my parents to go.

Then a couple years later I was doing the exact same thing as before, I was getting ready to pick up and move 4 states away. And the scene repeats itself... I was explaining to my parents things I was excited about and things I wasn't sure about. Asking them how I was gonna make it, wondering out loud to them all the things God was gonna do... And both of them at two different points explained that I "create family" everywhere I go... and neither of them were completely sure how I did it. I laughed at my dad when he said "I give you two weeks... You'll have friends in two weeks!" of course I argued.. "Dad where in the world will I find people in two weeks? How will I meet them?"... "I dunno, but that's all the time it'll take you." I just laughed, rolled my eyes and went on. Ironically he was right.. it was almost exactly two weeks. haha.. who knew :)

But, through it all I've begun thinking about what that means, because I look at various people here and the way I interact with them, and there are people who feel like family. My roomie's and I and several other friends, a couple who live in one town house and another couple in another town house.. and they all feel like family. We operate as though we are, make dinner together, help each other move, do things, call to hang out when we're bored, leave things at each other's houses.. etc.. etc.. And somehow through it all it makes it feel like we are a huge family. We all laugh together, hurt for each other's pains, pick on each other, make each other upset, angry, and through it all we forgive and grow stronger... But, most importantly, we help each other grow closer and understand our Savior more and more. We rally around people who need us, whether each other or someone else... This group accepts and loves on anyone who comes in contact with us.. and I am so incredibly blessed each day. Some days are harder than others, especially when something comes up that is seriously painful for one of us, and the rest of us can't do anything to fix it but pray... So, pray we do.

So, whether it's family I was blessed to be born into, or family I was gifted I am blessed every single day by them. I love my family, and treasure them more than I can express each day.