On The Nature of Family

The Aussie Father currently visiting, actually predates my knowing his father, My Old Mining Partner.  He was one of "my" kids.  Someone whom stood out and I reached out to.  As was his young sister and brother.  His bringing his daughters were supposed to be a bit of a reunion.  But, brother and sister had a fight, so brother refused to come up from Oregon.

My knowing Gaelic Girl predates all of them.  We all were family, looking to each other for what there was to meet our needs.  Failures a plenty, youth raising youth.

And what is the nature of family?

People brought together by birth.  People brought together by need.  People brought together by circumstance.

None necessarily perfect.  None necessarily doomed.

All are based on people - and people have faults and warts and baggage to deal with.  And sometime stress overcomes and explosions occur.

Such was last night.  Adults, no children reliving the horror of a shared past.  Adults, no better equipped to overcome their past than when they were children living it.  How grateful I was someone was not here, how I wished she could have been to observe, to better understand what I have seen and know.  Too many last nights have been lived, too much pain experienced, too many tears shed, too many injuries inflicted.

Adults, still the children reliving where they were 35 years ago.  No positional changes, no increased emotional strength.  Children still dealing with a childhood they never could get past.

My heart broken for them.  Gathered trying to support one another through past traumas.

And what is family?  I thought.  Indeed.

A house of adoptees, established roles and responsibilities.

Still functional after all of these years.....