An ode to my family....

So I've been thinking a lot about me as a mom.  I have given this some thought from time to time in the past 2 years (let's be honest...the past 10 years) but it was too hard to think about for the most part.  I focused more on BECOMING a mom than actually being a mom.  But now, it's time to open up the brain-flood gates.  While I was driving today I started thinking about something I saw on the show "Secret Millionaire" (if you've never seen it I highly recommend it, but watch it with a full box of tissues).  This lady visited a shelter for homeless pregnant women and heard stories (so did I, the viewer) of families that abandoned their teens when they got pregnant or just didn't have room for them.  Then she went to an outreach center for homeless teens.  These kids have no family.  No one to turn to.  I don't doubt that some of these teens made horrible choices and continue to make horrible choices.  But now, they've been completely abandoned and what chance to do they have??  When times got hard their parents said, "Good luck with that".  That, coupled with things that I see and hear every day - people having kids they can't afford and can't take care of, people being too wrapped up in their own bad habits to pour out the love and devotion their kids need to be successful.
I say all that to say this: my family is 1 in a billion...at least.  I would need to borrow several hands to have enough fingers to count the number of people in my family I could turn to if I needed ANYTHING.  There isn't a mistake any of us can make that is big enough for my family to say, "Good luck with that".  I include my gigantic extended family in this too.  Cousins, second cousins, cousins removed, great aunts and uncles...I not only know ALL their names (and kids names!) but I'm connected to them.  I know them.  They are amazing people who have amazing parents and have turned into amazing parents.  And then there are my parents.  I can call them in the middle of the morning sobbing because I saw a dog get hit by a car and I need to be talked down from my hysteria.  I can call them for ANYTHING.  They may not always agree with me and my sisters, but they will ALWAYS be there for us.  I don't doubt that for a second.  For that I am eternally grateful.  It's for that reason that I know I'll be able to handle any challenge being a mom throws at me.  I've had an example that is extraordinarily rare and wonderful.  And I have an amazing husband who will be by my side through it all.  True unconditional love is unfortunately uncommon.  But I'm lucky enough to have seen it in action, and have a family who taught me about the One who loves us PERFECTLY and unconditionally.  And I thank God for that...and for them.