Family

I’ll get into it ONCE and not again.

First of all, I love ❤️ my family…All of them.

Mom, Dad and Samantha round me out.

We were and are a good family unit.

Growing up we always had dinners at home and not much drive thru fare.

My mom is a pretty good cook—I would eat most of what she gave me.

Now, my dad is the cook between them—he’s got a little flare too…

Samantha and I were never friends growing up. We might as well have been on different planets. She had the normal grow up with friends and boyfriends—me, not so much.

But, both of our lives were complicated by the moves we made—and the choices that mom and dad made about each of our futures.

When we moved to Louisiana I was not accepted at the GOOD private school—Sam was—but she was sent to my school because mom didn’t want us in two schools. Years later I found out that the year Sam would have graduated was the same year that Payton Manning did—but then again it wouldn’t have mattered because we moved to Wisconsin.

Samantha had to leave all her friends TWICE…Although she was smart enough to get phone numbers—that’s my one regret with Scott Campbell—the first boy I kissed and he kissed back. We were out behind a new house when he told me he was leaving—I should have asked for his number right then—but not being wise and thinking ahead—I was in 9th grade—I didn’t ask him and I will ALWAYS wonder.

Sam had friends and boyfriends but again we lived two separate lives—we would eat dinner together almost every night—but we didn’t like being out together…

The one day that we were—we were both sick and had to go home—mom and dad were worried that we’d kill each other by the time they came home—we didn’t.

Sam is very independent and very rarely takes things from mom and dad. Although she is drafted sometimes to pay her way when mom and dad have an idea 💡 Things she didn’t sign up for that she had to find money for and pay.

No one travels like my parents—they take one trip a year that’s no holds barred. Everything is on the menu and first class all the way.

I know I can’t afford that—and Sam, rightly so, has trouble keeping up.

She and Howard took Sydney to Europe because they wanted to—and not travel the way mom and dad do…Apparently this pissed off mom and dad because they wanted to take Sydney to Europe first—that’s not how it worked out.

Mom and Dad are set in their ways—I didn’t know they all celebrated Passover until Samantha let me in on a few things that had been happening lately.

The biggest thing that happened recently was Dad’s back surgery. Mom didn’t know this—but Sam upended all of her plans for 3 weeks so she could help mom with Dad and mom said “Eehh—We can do it ourselves”

Sam was a little angry that mom wouldn’t take her help after all the changes she made to her schedule…

They’ve usually been behind me on what I’m doing…But they have a tendency to forget that I feel bad when Sam, Howard and Sydney are invited to something and I wasn’t even asked—whether I could afford it or not.

They always double teamed me as a kid—very rarely was I alone with either one of them.

They got their wish when I went off to college for one semester—I only came back a few times—I think 2 the whole semester?? I know buses prices were bad—but I didn’t expect to get shut out.

I was a whirling dervish…That was their chance to get some normality.

This is also when I decided what I should do. I went back to school in the area.

I stayed in the area with Keesh when they moved.

I had to learn how to live alone—

I was not perfect at doing my finances…But most of the time I kept my parents out of my backyard—but then there were times when I full on needed their help—and most of the time they gave it to me.

I still hadn’t figured out how to keep a job and I wouldn’t for many years—but I scrimped and scraped and made a life for myself…

Although I haven’t asked for money in weeks—one bill that’s coming up is $189 for Tru Tax which is due on April 15th Tax Day—that’s a Wednesday—today is Saturday. I’ve got to get his of an advance of $31.50 (Advances first out, then overdrafts) and -$17.

$38 + $189 =$227.00—that is my aim and I have 4 days to get it—two weekend days and two weekdays—then travel to Temple Terrace to sign papers and pay the bill.

Up until now they have always helped me when I needed it— it so much anymore—just the big stuff, like my van—they’re pretty hands off on everything else and would rather let me do it myself…They did help out earlier this year when my finances were in a shambles—that I needed And they came through for me. They wouldn’t pay for my tickets—some things you have to do on your own.

They made a deal with me: if I promised to take my meds they would pay for them. I do, and they do. Including my supplements…And a few other things that I haven’t had money to spend on like shampoo and conditioner…Mom is always on me about my hygiene—her helping me to get the stuff that I need to stay clean helps more than she knows—or will ever.

There is A Lot more to this story and I will revisit it another time…