Not Broken, Expanded

My husband and I come from two different types of families. In his family, no one has had a divorce, and many of them are not close. It hurts me to see that they are not like my own family, and provides much confusion for my husband because he is not familiar with the complexities of how my family is arranged.

Many people would say that I come from a broken home. That something broke in the family unit. I consider myself lucky. I get to have not just one set of parents, but two. I get to have not just one mom, but in a way I get to have 2. My daughters get to have 3 sets of grandparents instead of 2, (yikes, boy will they be spoiled :) ). My daughters and I get an extra amount of love than people with just one set of parents. So, is my home broken, in an essence yes. My parents do not live together anymore so I do not have what use to be a typical family where both the mother and father live under the same roof. However, I prefer to look at it as a expanded family. I have extra brothers and sisters, and an extra set of people that can love and support my sisters and I.

I can consider myself lucky. I have my mom, who I know loves me very much, and I have my dad's wife, Anne, who also loves and treats me like a daughter. I am blessed, and have come to determine that God decided I needed the extra love and support that a stepmother can provide. And, when the time comes that my mother can meet someone that she wants to spend the rest of her life with, I will also get a stepfather as well. I am lucky this way, and so will my daughters. So, as you can see, my childhood was not in a broken home, just in a home that grew to need 2 houses.

Alyssa and Sierra, I know that I have not met you yet, but I can not wait too, and know always that you have the love of all of your grandparents, and especially the love of your parents. Can't wait to see you.

Love,
Tabby