Family Ties

As I was taking Charley on an afternoon stroll, an older lady asked me what kind of dog he is. "To be honest, I have no idea," I replied, which is my standard answer for that question. It's the truth - he's the love of my life and I have no idea what breed he is. I suppose I should get one of those doggy-DNA tests to figure it out once and for all... I digress. So we start chatting (the lady and I, not the dog and I) and turns out, she knows my Great Aunt Kay and my Grandma that I live with. "I've lived in Highland Park for 80 years," she said. "I've known your family for a long time."

After a nice chat, we said goodbye and Charley and I continued on our way. It got me thinking: I really am lucky to have such a large, close family. I like being tied to that legacy, being associated with generations past and have people in my town that say, we know you. There's a comfortable and warm feeling that comes with these conversations, it makes me feel like I'm not just some random person on this huge planet but rather one person with many social ties in my little community of Central New Jersey. I used to think I was better off in Florida, where I didn't have much family, nobody "holding me down." But in hindsight, I realize my family doesn't hold me down - they are actually the support group that keeps my head and spirits high.

With Mother's Day around the corner, what I want to say is this: while it is nice to show the Mom's and Dad's in the world extra love on these "holidays", every day should be "I love my family" day because let's face it, they are one of the only things we can count on in this world. Well, that and the comforting effects of ice cream. Luckily, some things never change.