I'm thankful for Family...

I've been complaining a little bit lately about my family and how they're kind of getting my nerves. I have to say honestly though that I've been regretting my impatience with them. I would like to send a thank you to my parents for always being there for us kids. I would also like to give a huge thank you to my Mom for teaching us kids the meaning of family. Its very important to her to be close to her family, even if they don't talk every day or even every month, she is still close to them. Because of this, family is the most important thing to me and when I say that I don't just mean my parents & siblings, I mean my extended family too. That includes my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc. The other night, I was on the computer late and found that my second cousin was online. We grew up together and now she lives in Arizona, but it was really nice being able to sit there and talk with her for a while. I was also looking at pictures recently. I scanned some old pictures of my immediate family & I onto the computer & put them on Facebook and I also saved some pictures of extended family members that they have posted onto their Facebook. All of this reminded me that no matter what happens or how much my family irritates me, they are still my family and they mean the world to me. I'm glad that I look forward to family reunions, instead of dreading them like some people may. And its nice that my Mom's family is close. Sadly I can't say the same for my Dad's family. Yes he loves his family, we all do, but we're not as close to his side of the family like we are my Mom's. I I live closer to almost all of my cousins on Dad's side, but I don't have a relationship with them and its sad. We also aren't really close to his sisters and it would be killing my Grandma Hanes if she were still alive. Its odd that we aren't close to my Dad's side, but it seems like we run into family members all the time. I wish I could say that both sides of my family were equally close, but I can't. Hopefully someday that will change, but until then I can hold onto the knowledge that I have so many family members I'm close to on my Mom's side. Thank you so much Mom for giving me that.