To be a Leach

Celebrated my newly acquired niece's birthday tonight at my sister's house where she married my nephew a few short weeks ago. Welcome to our family, Elisa!

Here's the thing about being part of the Leach family...it's awesome.

 We've never had a lot of money but always been filthy rich with love.

If you're a Leach, you're loved. (That should be our family motto)

We were hands down the luckiest family on the planet until August 19, 1977 when momma suddenly died in less than sixty seconds while out shopping with me and my sister. It was sixty seconds that changed our world. Her early departure instilled a fear in all of us to never let a second, moment or even day go by without telling your family you love them...and mean it.

We somehow carried on without her...or maybe because of her.

We added  grandchildren she never got to meet and the former family of five begin to grow larger.

(So did our love)

I laugh a lot, it's my nature, but never laugh more than when I'm with this family...MY family.

This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my brother. The picture says it all.

Our brother acts all crusty but is one of the greatest people you could ever be lucky enough to meet. I've never met anyone who isn't crazy about him. Thank God he never had children of his own...frees him up to help ours and certainly has (when not helping his sisters).

Then there's my sister. Without her life would be a whole lot tougher and not even sure if I would have survived but did, with many thanks to her as well.

Our relationship reminds of the line from Terms of Endearment when Patsy tells Emma "You're my touchstone."

She's my sister, she's my bestie and she's my touchstone.

Webster's defines touchstone as "A quality or example used to test the excellence or genuineness of others."

I'm lucky to be a Leach and lucky to have so many touchstones in my life.

I think I got this now.

I may be fifty five and a slow learner but still have excellent memory, remember where I came from and mighty grateful I do.