family matters.

Oh, family dinner.
I love my family. So much. I mean, I don't have a choice. The time I love my family the most is at family dinners especially at home. Mostly because there's the whole privacy thing with no chance of people overhearing the dialogue that results in all of us coming together. It can just be a little more relaxed and the completely offensive things that spew out of my father's mouth is just a little bit easier to swallow when there's no fear of offending other families in a 15 table radius.
We laugh. We piss each other off. Our heads explode due to a completely ridiculous thing my father says. (I can't repeat any of it because it is so completely offensive and while I do realize it is what he believes in some way, he definitely lays it on because he knows it gets us going.)
The thing is, we're all able to be ourselves with each other. While there are times when the tensions get high ("oh, here comes the LIBERAL perspective" said with the most annoying eye roll EVER), I've noticed we've gotten better about reeling it in before fighting words are served up.
The thing is, as much as we're all able to dish it out to each other, those are the four people in this world I know for a fact would do anything for me in an instant. How amazing is that? No matter what. We can all be assholes and say shitty things to each other, but all of that goes away when it really matters.
I've watched families unravel, my extended family included, and it makes me sick. How do we lose sight of those family dinners and what's most important? Do we take advantage of how unconditional love can be and push its limits way too far?
My family is by no means anywhere near perfect, but here's the thing, we're aware of it. We don't sweep our problems under the rug in the living room right before a family portrait is taken. We address what needs to be and stay out of each other's business otherwise. Even when it's difficult. Especially when it's difficult. By that I mean, my parents are invested in the bigger, more important decisions in my life, but when it comes to my personal life, hands off. If there's anything I've learned about my parents, and adults in general, is most of the time they don't really have all the answers just because they've been around longer. (but, I will admit, as painful as it is, most of the time my dad is usually right.)
We're all just living our own lives and the fact that we still take a time out to talk shit to each other over dinner is really one of my favorite things ever.