It’s true, I’m the product of what I call a “Blended life”.
I used to find myself saying “Broken Home”, but that sounds like a sad, pieced
together existence, and that’s certainly not my life. So now I say blended…
So, what’s Blended? Let
me explain
A couple weeks ago, I was able to get a glimpse of a family
living a blended life, just like I did (and I guess still do). My family was
able to join some newlyweds, who are good friends of ours, move into their new
house! It’s gorgeous! It’s in a great neighborhood/area, and it’s big- really
big…. And it better be, cause between them, these newlyweds have five kids!
Yes, five kids! This new house will give them the space they need to spread out
a bit, and I am SO sure they’ll appreciate the space to get away from each
other when needed.
Is it going to always be peachy around the house? Will they
always exist in a newlywed phase? Heck no! It’s only been a few months! Who
knows what kind of fights have already started, but you know what? This
family living a blended life is trying, striving with all they’ve got, to do it
right.
Like our friends’ blended life, mine involved quite a few
kids as well. My parents divorced when I was five and my little sister was two
years old. Both remarried and had more children. My Mom and Stepdad had another daughter.
That’s a mouthful all to say- I have five siblings!
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| My Sisters Disclaimer: Clearly I'm the oldest! (My wedding June 2003) |
And I witness so many families living this life, and I hate
to even utter these words…. But many live it totally wrong.
As a product of this environment, I have some keen insight
in how to do this right. You read my words correctly- Yes, my family got
it right! Are we perfect? Nope. Hardly. But I'm proud of how our family blend works so seamlessly.
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| My Brothers Disclaimer: My sibs are gonna kill me for this! (My wedding June 2003) |
In fact, years ago, my Dad was told by one of his oldest friends (who also was dealing with a blended- life scenario) that him, my mom, and my stepmom, should write a book helping other families blend together without the drama.
Over the years, that has stuck with me, and I have mapped out in my head some surefire rules to help families (mostly directed towards adults) deal with divorce and remarriage. But even you are not dealing with issues related to divorce and remarriage, you still need to be aware of words you might be saying that can negatively affect those of us who are…..
Over the next two blog entries I will be discussing these
more in depth. But here’s the rundown:
1. Wash your mouth out.
2. Never, EVER, say “half”.
3. Honor your responsibilities with a good attitude.
4. Value your time.
I’m hoping this list gets you curious…. Gets you thinking…
gets you changing….
Clearly, I have taken a much needed break over the summer meaning less computer time, and more kid time. But I think the chaos has now calmed a
bit, and Tales from a Blended Life Part 2 will post later this week!
