Family Lottery.

I wasn't always a great kid in my family. Yes, I was probably the smartest one of the three kids my parents had, but it was all book-smarts. I was severely lacking in the common sense department. And, sometimes, I still do. But hey, we all grow and we all learn, right?

In high school, I was so rebellious of everything my parents said or did. I can proudly say I wasn't up to anything bad, but I was seriously pushing them away and shutting them out of my life. It got so bad that my parents decided to take away their help in aiding me in my college aspirations. I didn't care, but in hindsight, I can see how bad of a decision it was, but luckily for me, I realized my mistake almost immediately after having moved out of their house and into my first home away from home; my freshman dorm. It was there that I realized how much work my parents had put into making me a strong and independent man. The struggles of many of my fellow freshman class who didn't know how to do simple things like their own laundry made me so grateful for every small lesson I had learned from both of my parents. 

Luckily for me, I pulled my shit together and worked my ass off over those first two years, so that when it came time to transfer schools (i went to a two year school in wyoming, so transferring was my ticket out) they generously offered their assistance. I swallowed my pride and jumped on their offer. I knew that things were getting better. And even more so, I was starting to really enjoy being around my family. 

Fast forward to 2007, in which I was able to spend a solid six weeks with my family, minus one, or two (yes, lisa and aj, i had to throw that dig out there.) But, in that six weeks, I was able to really play the role of uncle to my adorable niece and nephew, kid brother, brother-in-law, and son. Even though the reason I was home was a tough one, the joys of being able to be apart of that solid dynamic we've all built made me feel special. I didn't feel like the absent family member I've come to think of myself as. I felt like I had a place and really had a blast. 

Even in this current year, I've flown to Denver to watch my father graduate college, and flown to Florida to celebrate my sister's nuptials. We were all there and that's what makes us whole. They were both weekends that I'll treasure the rest of my life. And it felt good to be apart of something bigger than myself. It feels wonderful to belong to something so loving. 

So, today I received a birthday card from my parents quite early. This is what it said inside

"What if today,

you could see yourself

the way that wee see you?

What if we could

somehow take you back

and show you for a moment, 

the beautiful baby boy

who won our hearts forever

the first time we held him

in our arms...

Or the mischievous toddler

who never stopped

for more than a minute,

so full of life

and curiosity

about the world around him?

What if we could

somehow show you

the kind and generous man

we see standing before us

or any one of the countless,

precious memories

we keep in our hearts?

What if on your birthday

you could see yourself

the way that we see you?

Then you would know,

without a doubt

how much we have loved

watching you change

and grow

and become

the kind of man

we always knew you would be."

And inside my mom wrote, "Couldn't resist a card that tells you how proud i am of you. lots of love, mom." And my dad wrote, "Happy birthday. Keep following your passion not your pension. Love, Dad."

I read this and I know that I have truly won the family lottery. I was given such an incredible family to belong to and I feel sad for anyone who has less than what I was given. I am heartbroken when I hear people say, "Oh my god, I hate my family." Or, "If I'm around my family too much, I go nuts!" Because I simply can't get enough of my family. I always feel bad for my parents at times. My mother constantly complains about when my sisters and I are together, no one can get a word in edgewise. But, that's just the three of us. We like to laugh, we're a pack and that's just how we are. With the three of us plus my parents, plus two brother-in-law's and a niece and nephew, we are the Riggles. Well, we're Riggle's, Reynolds', and King's. We're a family pretty much right off a family tv series. It's messy and dramatic, but always warm and inviting. And no matter how far spread we become, it's still always home.