But I Smile Anyway…

An old post I wrote a while back that I felt like giving an airing to!

Over my life time I’ve seen many different types of family, and I’m lucky to be part of a huge, crazy parivaar (Punjabi for family) where there is no lack of love and laughter. But where you get a great amount of people, there are always going to be fallings out, and that one person, or maybe more, that you cant stand!

I think we can all relate to that!

As I said, I have been blessed with this gigantic extended family, and they took up most of my childhood,  every weekend we were together, be it at a wedding, a party, or just at each other’s houses for dinner.  It was character building to say the least, I was the youngest girl cousin on my Pops side out of a good 20, or so, cousins so was spoilt by many, but there were the odd ones who may not have liked the attention that being the youngest afforded me… still, I was brought up well, and wouldn’t make a fuss, I just got on with life.   Then on the flip side, I was the oldest grand child on my Mum’s side, so I had a different stature there!  The ‘Big Sister’ role!

But it’s my immediate family who I will always be thankful for.  A father who did everything for us, to provide us with a stable upbringing, and still catering for the other families needs. A mother who was there for us, at every step of our growing up, she didn’t even follow her chosen career path, choosing to be a full time mum to us, supporting us, helping us, bringing us up when we were down, grounding us when we were too big for our boots. A brother who was the biggest irritant of my life for the first 15 years, but then morphed into one of the most trusted individuals in my life. Then beyond, his wife, my sister-in-law, who is the sweetest person I know, who has also moulded the raw man that was my brother into a most amazing husband, and fantastic father too! And not forgetting my precious little bundle of laughs, my baby nephew!

Talking of husbands, around 14 years ago, I suddenly had a new branch grow onto my family tree, and I acquired new parents, another brother, and another whole new extended family, through my husband!

Hubby Dearest, well he is my rock, and thanks to him  (and a little bit of me) we created our own family, with the additions of Lil Man, and Lil Princess, and the ability to love unconditionally grew considerably in both of us. These two little people, here on Earth because of us, and looking up to us to nurture them, and hopefully encourage them to grow into strong, independent individuals with heart.

But is that all family is? Blood ties, and marriage?

I don’t think so, personally.

I seem to have little pockets of ‘family’ elsewhere in my life, my school ‘family’, my university ‘family’, my work ‘family’, my friends ‘family’, my WordPress Blog ‘family’…

Each of these groups of people have as much of a profound effect on my daily life, as my real family do, in their own way. They are all as important to me, and as essential to me being who I am today, as my parents were. The experiences I have shared with them over the years have also shaped me as a person, and made me the Ritu you see before you.

So, what is ‘family’ to me?

I think the true definition of family is those people who help to shape you as the individual you are today.

Written in response to RonovanWrites #BeWow writing initative.