Gratitude Blog # 2

I started thinking about this last night and I knew that my second day of gratitude would be thinking about family.

I'm a very lucky guy. I have always been surrounded by a great family. My mom is one of eight children and I have two younger brothers myself. I also have twenty-one first cousins, about thirty-five second cousins, and I have lost count at fourty-plus third cousins. This is what I call my immediate family descended from my grandparents. I realize that I'm not using the correct terms for the second and third cousins but I'm from the south and it works for me.

My family has always been super close and my earliest memories are my brothers and I, and my cousins running through the sand dunes, playing on the long defunct military batteries (or forts as we liked to call them) , building our own forts around the old go-cart track near our house, or just riding our bicycles and swimming in the creeks or the ocean all around our little island community. I had several mom figures in my life and if one of them told you to do something, it better be done or else. My cousins were like my brothers and sisters and best friends all rolled into one.

When I became an adult and started a bit of a nomadic life, I always found myself in a new family unit of friends. I've lived in Atlanta, DC, St.Croix, New Orleans, Chicago, downtown Savannah, GA and twice in Key West. I always managed to find my soul family and my favorite by far was definitely Key West. The community there reminded me of home but the great part was because of less history they allowed me to create an identity and be who I was meant to be without the preconceptions. Even when I was getting into a little bit of trouble, I received unconditional acceptance and support no matter what. I still keep in touch with many of them over the last twenty years and more.

My second favorite soul family bears a mention as well because it gave me one of my dearest friends of all time. The Savannah crew was definitely a fun bunch and was often causing quite a bit of mischief, although, it was never my fault. Most of them will say the same but they lie. I was the more innocent and naive of the bunch and often the follower, not the leader. I could go into details but that's a whole different topic than what I'm relaying now. The guilty shall remain anonymous.

I could go on and on about my family, related or drawn to, but I think you get the gist of where my gratitude lies today. I'm a little bit late posting but it was a long night at work.

Until next time, peace! Pixabay