The obvious connection would be parents. If we are lucky we have both a mom and dad. I lost my mom when I was 14. Being from a large family, I was fortunate to have a grandmother (and a great dad) that had always been there and continued to be. One of the most influential people in my life was my neighbor Karen. On a daily basis my sweet neighbor (who was only 24 at the time) checked on me, taught me to bake, polish silver, identify depression glass, use coupons to shop and fold clothes. I still fold all my towels with the folded side outward and stacked neatly. The love and effort of this neighbor and friend has stayed with me.
After my father remarried I found myself at family gatherings of a family that were not blood relatives. I was a teenager and was experiencing drastic changes in my life, but as time passed I came to love and be loved by a family that I now consider my own.
I am not the exception to the rule by any means. Anyone that has lived for any amount of time has experienced relationships that have touched and changed them in some way.
I married and have stepchildren and grandchildren that came with my husband as a package deal and I love them with all my heart. Love travels wavelengths that the human brain cannot comprehend, but it is very real and very powerful. My own children have a stepmother that has been instrumental in their lives and has been a blessing on so many levels. Her love for them is clearly visible.
Not sure we take the time to truly be grateful to those in our daily lives that make us who we are. The people who are not the obvious ones (spouse, parent, child) can sometimes have the largest impact on us.
A new year. As long as we are breathing we will meet new people who, at the end of 2012, will have changed how we look at things in some way. Let's take the time to say thanks.
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