17 Feb 2014

Every couple months a few friends and I have one of our ‘movie marathon’ days. We pick out a series, get a little bombed, make gourmet food and attempt to watch them all in one day. We’ve done all the Lord of the Rings (featuring exclusively ring-shaped food such as bagels, donuts, onion rings and the crowning achievement: A circular bacon wrapped meatloaf and pineapple ring cake), Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars and even achieved watching all 18.5 hours of the Harry Potter series. Today is one of those such days, I’m currently curled up on a huge sectional couch with some of my very favorite people, I’ve been eating for 5 out of the 6 hours I’ve been awake. It’s an excellent way to spend Family Day.

I don’t have a ton of family and what I do have are currently on the other side of the world or 8 hours north of here. It’s nice to belong to a group of people that I know I can always call no matter what, who are loyal and always have my back. A lot of people think it must be the worst feeling in the world to not have a lot of family in your corner, but it’s not. For me the worst feeling will always be seeing a friend in need and not being able to help them. I struggle a lot with being a good listener to my friends; I’m a problem solver and I sometimes get so caught up in finding the best solution that I forget that not everyone is looking for a way to fix their life. I heard a great song yesterday that reminded me of a some friends in my life right now that are going through a rough time and the helplessness that I grapple with when it comes to helping them.

The song was ‘A month of sunshine’ by Fever Dreamer, a relatively new 5-piece band out of Dallas, TX. It’s got all the best parts of my favorite genres: Catchy alternative guitar hooks, new-school punk rock influences and meaningful, personal lyrics. I could do without the vocal processing on the opening verse, but the lead singer delivers his message with real passion and sincerity. When he sings “The consequence of broken promises, an endless list, Filled with all your problems with no intent to solve them at all. I believe that what you seek is all but what you really need, If I could bring you anything I swear to God I’d bring you peace”, I thought of a couple of my dear friends. I want to help them so much, because these people are close to me in a way that can’t be quantified by kinship.

I guess saying that I don’t have a lot of family is kind of a lie. I do, they are scattered all over the place and sometimes there is so much time and space between seeing each other that I forget that they are my family even though they don’t have they same blood running through their veins. It doesn’t really matter what I call them: Friends or family, they’re all just as important.  I’ve got loyal ones, the ones I’ve known since childhood. There’s the ones that I call when I need to go out and party and be social with. Some of them I’ve only met once: those people I’ve met while traveling when I was alone and really needed someone, they might have been there for me for only one day but that’s what family really means: being there for people. And then there’s the people next to me right now: My only friends that are bananas enough to watch 18 hours of movies with me at one time. Right now they’re shovelling taco dip into their mouths, razzing each other incessantly and being the absolute crazy horses that they are. I love them all. There’s an old saying that says ‘You can’t choose your family’. I don’t believe that. You can choose your family, and I’m so glad that all these meatheads are mine. Happy Family Day y’all,  from my ridiculous little family to yours.

“I believe that what you seek is all but what you really need,  If I could bring you anything I swear to God I’d bring you peace…..”