Coffee and Swingsets

Today I had a coffee date with my family.
Not my biological family, but my "soul family" as I like to call them.
We came together unexpectedly, through a drama production that, unbeknownst to us, would end up changing all of our lives forever.
People think we're just one of those "cast families" that every production has.
We are, but we're also so much more than that.
Anyways, we all came together to drink coffee and catch up for the first time since before Christmas Break.
I began to realize today just how lucky we all are.
As I sat and watched my family interact with each other, I realized that the seven of us are all as different as we could possibly be.
It's actually amazing to me that we all get along the way we do- honestly, it's pretty miraculous.
Some of us are quieter, more observant and thoughtful, some of us are loud and energetic and stubborn, some of us are spontaneous, and some prefer a set schedule.
Some are dreamers, some are realists, some are lovers and some are definite fighters.
If you were to ask me two years ago if I thought that this group of people would end up becoming a family, I'd probably roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, right." and walk away, shaking my head in disbelief.
.....but here we are.
Stuck with each other til the end. :)
In all honesty, though, the fact that we're all different is why we get along so well, I think.
Its because we're varied that we can work through difficulties and disagreements and are able to discuss important things without a fallout.
We're a balance. We compliment each other, like French bread and red wine.
Somehow, we manage to bring out the best in each other.
These people make me want to become a better person. They challenge me, grow me, love me, encourage me, inspire me, strengthen me, teach me.
Everytime we get together, its a growing experience.
Every day is a new adventure.

Its with them that I play on swings in a park late at night on Christmas Eve, with them that I read poems in the dead of night in empty cemeteries, its with them that I have discussions about love languages, its with them that I make up stories about people from eras gone by who leave their mark on everyday items such as an inscription on a cane, its with them that I take walks through empty fields at night, sitting on crates in a pitch black abyss, and talk about life, its with them that I decorate trees and untangle billions of Christmas lights, its with them that I drink tea and talk about the future with, with them that I play and sing songs together with, with them that I cook dinners, with them that I pray prayers which increase my faith, with them that I laugh uproariously, with them that I watch Sabrina until two-thirty in the morning.

I can't explain why we're a family or how we are a family....
But I know that God has put these wonderful people in my life for a reason.
We're all meant for something, and I believe that these people are in my life to help me find what I'm meant for.
what I'm meant to do.
Like I said, they inspire me. :)
I think the greatest part about this family is the love.
Love is such a powerful entity, and I'm not one to give it easily as I've always been a "hold your cards close to your chest" person.
But if there's one thing that we all agree on, its how much we love and need each other.
We've all seen our shares of ups and downs, and we've all had our desperate hours of need....
and now we know that if we're ever in need again, someone, if not six other someones, will always be there. Always.
And that alone is reason to keep these people in my life.
As if there weren't a billion other reasons. ;>)