Great Family = Great Friends

After spending the day out at my parents' home, I am feeling very grateful for my amazing family. Being the sixth of seven kids, I was never in need of playmates. I learned to share everything from a young age and how to let go when things don't go as you may have planned. Being part of a large family comes with many unique blessings that only people from big families understand, and I am no exception to that. I think for which I am most grateful, however, is how my family members are also my closest friends.
Having four sisters is pretty. . . interesting. It must have been hell to have five daughters because, let's be honest, parents worry more about their daughters. But, I am particularly grateful that I have so many sisters. I doubt very much that we would be friends if we weren't sisters, but because they are my sisters, they are my best friends. We are so different in so many ways . . . and there are definitely moments when I wonder how we manage to get along (particularly during election season) . . . but they understand me on a level no one else does. They are my fiercest defenders and would do anything they could to help me out. They love me even though they know how difficult I can be to love. I imagine that we will be close friends for the rest of our lives because that is just how important we all are to one another. It's pretty awesome.
Since I had kids, my giant family has presented even more blessings. As I pulled into my parents' driveway this morning, Mason noticed that the cars of his two aunts were already parked out there. He was overjoyed as he saw his favorite cousins pull around the front of the house on their tricycles. The three of them played for hours together, never tiring of the others' company, and I think they would all be perfectly content to do so pretty much any day of the week. They just love being together and look forward to the next time they get to play.
None of my siblings decided to have a large family themselves (well, I guess it's yet to be seen with the youngest), but because we have all stayed close, our children have been the beneficiaries of being part of a large family. With 19 grandkids and counting, everyone has playmates who are better than your average friend because they are family. And our great family just seems to equal great friends!