Day 17 - You can choose your family

[Stephanie]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been really enjoying everyone’s wonderful Month of Celebration posts this year! It’s been really inspirational to see. I wanted to share a somewhat controversial and personal thought myself. Oftentimes, we’re told that family is the most important thing - I happen to believe that’s true.

If family is the most important thing then all my friends are my family, too. Wherever they are in the world: in life, in crisis, in love or in distress, whether you’ve not talked in days or not talked in years, there’s something very raw and very human about the bond we build with other human beings. For me that is something I class as family.

Jokingly or not, many times this year when I’ve chatted with some of you lovely people, whether here on the CC or on our Social zoom calls, I’ve heard familiarity, joy, connection and care. One of the things I loved hearing was how this group of wonderful people called themselves “the village.” The aunts and uncles of the CC that take care of each other and the “kids”. The kids being a metaphor for the new hosts that often cut their teeth here in the Community Center, with fear, nervousness, feelings of being overwhelmed, excitement and, sometimes, confusion.

For a Brit like myself it takes a lot to write something as cheesy, corny or cringy as this but… you choose your family, and I think we share one here.

Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the holiday season, CCer’s!

Thanks,

Steph

@Clara116 , @Cathie19 , @Christine615 , @Robin4 , @Lawrene0 , @Ann72 

[Huma0]

@Stephanie 

I was supposed to have my family round for Christmas last year, and then Christmas in London got cancelled. I had one guest staying with me at the time. She was planning to go back to the US to visit her parents, but that got Corona cancelled too.

So, it was just the two of us. That was the first Christmas I have ever spent without my family or a boyfriend. Still, this girl had become family to me and we made the most of it. We cooked up a storm, did the decorations, crackers, presents, set the table, decorated the tree, all of it. We had brief Zoom calls with family, but otherwise just celebrated the two of us.

It was surprisingly lovely.

Family has many definitions. This lovely guest was with me through a long, lonely lock down. She was young enough to be my daughter, but we connected and we looked after each other in a difficult time. We are still in touch and I look forward to seeing her again soon. She finally managed to rejoin her family this Christmas, after having missed two Christmases with them.

[Stephanie]

@Huma0 

That's such a lovely story - a light in the darkness. Do you still keep in touch with her? 

We stayed with my mother in law as she is our "bubble" but missed out on my own family - 4 siblings with 4 nieces and nephews, my dad and the all important pets they have. My sons first Christmas, nonetheless, was still fun, happy and full of good food. As far as he's concerned, this is normal and his is joyful.