Family

    Quite some time ago, I always thought that a 'normal' family consisted of a child or children and 2 parents. As a child, it was normal for me, mainly because I had this normal setting at home, and the majority of my friends at the time had similar situations. The rare 'kid with the divorced parents' was completely out of the ordinary.

     Now, though I'm completely lucky to have both parents, who have chosen to stick together for 27 years out of genuine love, I seem to be the odd one out in my primary group of friends. One friend lives with his father and step mother; his biological mother was exiled by his father because of her problems with alcohol and drugs. Another friend lives with his grandfather and uncle, and another friend lives with both of his grandparents, both for varying reasons.

     They all still seem happy, possibly because they don't know the privilege of having both parents, but also quite possibly because they are genuinely happy with their living situations. Whatever the case may be, it tends to make me a bit more appreciative of the situation I've been given.

    On top of the aforementioned issues, I've seen far too many friends have a parent tragically pass away at far too young of an age, and the subsequent toll it takes on them. The idea of being in their shoes is something I never want to have to experience, and again, it makes me appreciate what I have and the luck that I've been given.

     Because of this appreciation, I tend to show my parents the respect that they deserve, and even though I'm an adult, I still reside in their house, where they pay the bills, where they provide my shelter. Therefore, I still adhere to the few rules that they set for me, and I'm probably a better person for it. My friends in different living situations seem to have a much looser lifestyle and less 'rules' than I or my friends living with both parents do, and my stricter style can often clash with theirs, more so before we were legally adults than now.

     Though I keep stressing this point, I'm EXTREMELY lucky to have both of my parents, and to have a very good relationship with them. Seeing what the other possibilities are, I feel as though any other way wouldn't be as satisfactory.