Four

​Day 4
four/for family. 
I honestly didn't think I was going to follow the prompts!!  And yet here I am...
Family is such an amazing and awkward and random idea. At the same time it is pretty clear cut by definition. However,  I have never believed family is defined by blood alone. I have so many families. My REAL one as in mother, father, sister, brothers,aunts,uncles,cousins. My OWN, as in husband, kids and cats. My WORK one, as in who I spend 8plus with daily, and my GOLDEN one, as in the people who love and support me unconditionally and are close to me, but may or may not be a part of any of the aforementioned ones.
4 families. Maybe more... But def. 4. Families are the network that gets us through our daily shit, don't you think? I mean some of us are great at navigating it solo, but I am a person who relies heavily on the backing of loved ones. Some of my friends had shit for REAL families. Its just the cards you're dealt. I had a 50/50 for the real one. The REAL one comes with certain obligations and expectations, at least for me..but it is also the one that brought me here into the world, so to speak.
As for my OWN, I am lucky beyond belief. My kids and who they bring into my life are my true heart.   My WORK family has (obviously) changed throughout the years with the advent of new jobs and workplaces, new people to spend allllll those hours with. But some of those folks are my greatest assets in life.  Some of my very best friends are people I once worked somewhere with. 
But the GOLDEN one... that's the family that is hardest to define.  I mean here we are in a writing group. We are writing these essays for others to read and interpret however they may.  So much of what we do in life, we do for others. From braggy (maybe even lying ;) facebook posts to theatre performances, to authors, dancers, teachers, parents,...everything...we do it for the benefit of others. For someone to see. For someone to enjoy. For someone to learn from us. For someone to notice. Someone to "like" it. Someone to react.  Nothing much is done in a vacuum here on earth. Nothing much is done ONLY only for ourselves. At least, that is how I see it.  
Family that loves you without ever knowing all that great shit you've done and do, that is the Golden one. They probably know about the bad shit you've done and do, cuz that is when you need them.   I've got this one kid who never, and I mean never tells anyone about his stellar accomplishments. He's just that way. He's one of those rare humans who does fantastic things in the world and actually doesn't  care if you know about it. (where did he come from?)  I aspire to be like that.  x #500wordsaday