I Am an Oddball

                During the course of our blogs, my brother and I have both mentioned how our growing up years may have seemed idealistic – how our share of problems pale in comparison to countless others.  I don’t relate to dysfunctional families and am highly grateful for that.  As I looked around the room during Relief Society yesterday I noticed each one of the sisters (or most of them) had been a part of a dysfunctional family either in childhood or parenthood – sometimes both I felt a sense of sadness.  I don’t/didn’t wish to appear like I was boasting with my “unexpected answer to prayer” example compared to great struggles and hardships of others. 

       I am GRATEFUL to be an oddball.  The closest I have come to experiencing the dysfunctional thing has been on the outside seeing a glimpse of Biff’s challenges and his in-laws.  I hadn’t thought of them as dysfunctional but there are some definite issues there.  But we all have challenges.  Mine have always been financial – a worldly matter. At least that is how I’d like to view it.  I have had great respect for my parents and sibs – especially with age.  I don’t know that I receive the same respect from my boys as I gave my own parents – but they came with baggage.  All three have some form of ADD or ADHD and often (or perhaps always) offhand behavior displayed (if any) is not their fault. 

      I believe that Jaime and I have the same kind of relationship as I had with my mom.  My mom was a great friend and nurturer to all four of her children.  We all seem to have married well and have carried the torch into our families – or tried to.  One brother has four children in the same order as me and my sibs.  My sister has a girl and two boys.  My other brother has cats who are loved every much as the biological children of the other two.

     Two of us have married spouses who don’t necessarily come from dysfunctional families but have in-laws with dysfunctional issues – unglued for whatever reason.  We pray for them that their hearts will be softened – that they may return to a life without so many complications. I’ve met all of Richard’s sibs, two of the spouses, some of the cousins – just a handful.  It’s strange.