Thanksgiving

On this day, I want to remind everyone that your family isn't only your blood. Family includes people who treat you like their son, daughter, sister, brother, etc. After my mother passed away in 2014, I disowned 90% of my blood family because they began treating me like shit. It turned out they were only nice to me because of my mother. Once she was gone, they looked at me as the rebellious punk rock teenager I once was 20 years earlier. They couldn't get past the old stuff and realize I am a grown man, who now had to take on the role of being my fathers caretaker and critically judged any and every decision I made. Had any other person made the same decisions, there would not have been a peep out of them.

 I dropped everything and left my job and my home for 4 months to help my father who has brain damage and can't live alone, clean up, throw out, auction, and donate things, sell his house and move over 700 miles to live with me. Not one family member came to help out. An old friend of 20+ years drove 3 hours and did one day though. So did some neighbors of my fathers. I found out who my true family is.

There are complete strangers out there who have been kinder to me than my own blood family since then, and even in recent months, weeks, and days.

So even if you're alone in the sense of other physical bodies around you today... remember, you are NOT alone.

Much love and hugs to every one of you on this Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful for all of you.

- Steve <3