It's no secret that I have an interesting and rocky relationship with my immediate family. It's gone from good to bad and back again a few times over for several different reasons. Some of it is my fault (bad choices in my youth and early adulthood). Some of it is their fault (not recognizing what I needed and passing judgement when it wasn't deserved). We have argued about that little fact for years and I don't think we will ever see eye to eye on it, but we persevere... survive. It's all I've ever known how to do. Survive. It's more than just a physical survival: keep breathing, eat food, drink water; it's emotional survival. How do I make the best of this crap-tastic situation? How do I deal with and move past these feelings about this situation? How do I keep smiling? Why do I keep smiling? For many years (most of my life come to think of it), I've put on a brave and happy face. No matter the circumstances, I smile. I laugh and making people l...
