R is for Relationships

I have many relationships in my life. Friendships, familial relationships, coworker relationships.  But I have only ever been in two romantic relationships.  Those two were 14 years apart.

I love all my different types of relationships.  My family are some of the most fun people to hang around with and there is always plenty of laughter when we do.  Hanging out with them reminds me from where I come and that I have a solid foundation to fall back on if ever I need to.  I am grateful for them and so happy to have all of them in my life.  My friendships are amazing. (See F is for Female Friendship) They keep me grounded and help me see my life more realistically than I tend to do and have saved me from going off the deep end many a time.  I am so lucky to know these women.  My coworker relationships are a bit more complex. I truly like some of my coworkers (some are even in my Female Friends category) and there are some I could do without. I do have respect for most of them, however. They are some of the smartest people I've ever met and they are doing pretty innovative things. My romantic life I will not talk about at the moment, but I will have more to say about it in a later post.  Let's just say things are looking up!

N is for Niece and Nephew

I am not, technically, a mom.  I do, however, have two people on this earth who I can't imagine loving more if they were my own children. Those two people are my niece and nephew.  They are both in their 20's now and the reason I am so close to them was the opportunity I had in taking care of them when they were little.  My niece was born a little less than a year after I graduated from high school.  I was coming off one of my aforementioned depressions (see "H is for Happiness") and wasn't attending college and needed a job at the time my sister-in-law was ready to go back to work.  So when my niece was just three months old, I started taking care of her while my brother and sister-in-law were at work.  Three years later, my nephew came along.  I was with them Monday through Friday from 7 in the morning until 5 in the evening. I fed, bathed, and diapered them.  I was there for first words, first steps, and first days at school. I accompanied them on field trips and even took care of them when their parents went on vacation. So to say I have a close bond with these two amazing people would be an understatement.

They are two of the funniest people I know.  Our conversations--whether in person or via text--will often have me laughing so hard I snort.  They are both smart and kind and I see them growing and changing into these strong and capable adults and am awed they've been able to do all that in spite of all my shortcomings as a caregiver.  My niece is kindhearted, artistic and beautiful. My nephew is sweet, generous and handsome.  Every day I am so grateful that I have been able to be a part of their lives and every day I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be with them as much as I did.  This post is in honor of them. Thank you, my snugglies, for helping me to be a better person.  Auntie loves you to the edge of the universe and back.

Inspiration

I often get inspired by reading other blogs.  Today I read a blog post by someone who listed the things she loved, in no particular order, and it was such a beautiful, touching, and funny list that it inspired me to think about the things I love--the things that make me happy.

In no particular order, I love:

My niece Brianna.

My nephew Brandon.

Sunrises and sunsets.

The smell of fresh cut grass.

Loving characters so much in a book I ache for them when bad things happen.

Hugs.

My brothers.

My sisters.

My mom.

Knowing that if everything fell apart in my life, I'd have the most amazing support group to help me back up.

Sheldon Cooper. :)

Banana cake with cream cheese frosting.

The color purple. (Not the movie or book, although I love those, too.)

Living in Colorado.

Colorado's breathtaking beauty.

Homemade tortillas.

The smell of orange blossoms.

My legs.

The ocean.

Road trips.

The Oatmeal.

Pedicures.

Tattoos.

Being to-the-bone exhausted and finally being able to crawl into bed with a happy sigh.

That light bulb moment when I finally understand a concept that had eluded me before.

Rainbows.

Music so beautiful it makes me cry.

Elvis Presley.

Cookouts.

Board games.

The smell of a man wearing Curve Crush.

Roller coasters and thrill rides.

Sleeping in.

Dancing.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ree!