We are competitive

I have a very competitive family.

If you have ever seen the movie "The Wedding Date," with Debra Messing, hopefully you can recall the quote where she is explaining to Dermot Mulroney about how "you know those crazy families which are crazy and fight but at the end of the day you love them. - that's not my family."  I may have altered that phrase in some way, but the point is that is my family.

We grew up arguing, fighting, taking each others clothes, defending each other from bullies, defending each other from each other, purposefully ordering pizza someone would not eat, getting each other in trouble, and creating stories which cause us to laugh for hours now.

I would do anything for my family  1 - because they are amazing people and 2 - because I like them.  To quote yet another movie, in "Home for the Holidays," two sisters are talking and one says, "If I just met you on the street and you gave me your number, I would throw it away." I am lucky enough to be able to say that I would want to know and be friends with everyone in my family.  They are super cool people.  If you are reading this blog then you probably know me. If you know me, but do not know my siblings, you should meet them! If you think I am even slightly cool - you will learn they are 100x cooler.

Nora is the oldest and has accomplished so much and has always been so sure of herself (or least presented herself that way) and is talented and considerate. She has traveled extensively and speaks multiple languages, stays in touch with the people she has met, has been a carnivore and a vegetarian, has completed marathons and triathlons, demonstrated courage when she decided to switch careers and go back to school to follow a new dream.  She is someone I am able to look up to and turn to for advice.

Kevin is ridiculous.  He has completed 4 IronMan events and wants to keep doing them.  Isn't one enough!?!?!  He set out a plan in high school and made sure it came true. There were definitely bumps along the road but he is living his dream and has an amazing family.  Kevin's lifelong goal is not to grow up and he is achieving that everyday. He is always willing to play a game, attempt something new, dance until the party ends, and share every story he remembers (which you wish you could forget) to make you laugh about every embarrassing event. He is also, most often, the instigator for any crazy thing we do now as adults. Actually, he was the instigator when we were kids too. I cannot wait to meet a man like him.


Molly is a friend. Molly is a friend in the true sense of the word. She is the one you can call at 3 am to meet you wherever because the car won't start, willing to sit with you and work out your problem and go through all the permutations for hours on end, willing to be the devil's advocate when you need to hear the other side (also because she likes to argue), willing to be blunt and tell you the truth when you really don't want to hear it, and willing to create drinking games to solve a fight which other siblings are having.  Now I am not saying my other siblings wouldn't do the same, but Molly would  1  still be awake at 3 am and 2  would be an extra 5 minutes late because she stopped to get your favorite beverage or snack on the way because she realized this made your day suck even more and you needed a pick me up. 

Katy is a brat. She is considerate and makes sure the people around her are taken care of and knows someone is there who thinks about them and is worried about them. Katy is a cheerleader in the true sense of the word. Not the wearing the shortest skirt possible and saying repetitive songs over and over again way, but in the she will believe in you even when you stop believing in yourself way.  She will remind you that yes you can do whatever you think you can't and can usually remember some example to prove to you that you have already done it in some way or another. She has also traveled and lived in multiple parts of the world. Katy defines herself often as a twin. Which is true, she and Molly are twins, but Katy is a sister; to me, to the other 5, and to anyone who is willing to let her be a part of their life.  Katy is not someone who will let you be alone, she will make sure she is there anytime you need her, even when you don't realize you do.  All that being said, Katy is still a brat!

Danny is a learner. He wants to learn from everyone around him.  He makes sure that everyone he interacts with understands that they have something to teach him and it's important and something he really wants to learn. Daniel is the epitome of the lifelong learner. He may have struggled with college in terms of the classes but he absorbs everything around him and takes notice of cultural differences so he doesn't offend someone. He pays attention to the nuances in language so he doesn't accidentally insult someone while asking for bread. Danny is heading home soon after 2 years of living abroad and will only stay for a few months on US soil as there is more he needs to learn and do. 

Marty is an encourager.  Everyone around him knows how important they are. Important to Marty but also important to themselves and others. Marty helps people to see how they make a difference in the life of people around them. He does things everyday which just make the people around him ask, why didn't I think of that. Marty is one of the people who lives out the "everyday acts of kindness" without intentionally doing it; it's just a part of him. He creates groups of people and new friends who never thought they would be friends with each other, but once they meet wonder why they weren't friends before.  He makes you feel proud because you know him but also a better person the longer you are around him. 


So this blog turned out very different from my thoughts at the beginning.  I was originally planning to write about how much we as a family fight, argue, and compete and then go into the contest of states, countries, and continents we have created, but this blog took a different turn.

I may start again the blog about how competitive we are, but for now I will leave it with acknowledging 6 of the best friends I could never have found on my own. Thank you Mom and Dad for the best people I can turn to in any situation.
Meghan  (3rd of 7)