Growing up in a large, VERY Southern family can seem very weird from the outside. OK, I will admit, it's just as weird from the inside. There are many crazy things that happen when you live amongst a large country family. My family lived all along the same road growing up, and I don't simply mean my immediate family. No, I mean aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, second cousins once removed: The WHOLE FAMILY. It definitely got a bit crazy at times, but these memories defined who I am. I would never trade any of my Southern family upbringings. So here are the top ten things that came from my Large Southern Family.

10. Gossip

There is absolutely nothing better than hearing your granny go on and on about the latest family gossip. No secrets are kept in a Southern family. If you try, it will surely go around the family even faster. If you don't want your entire family knowing about it, just don't do it at all. I promise. The moment granny finds out you're dating a new guy and have yet to bring him around to meet everyone, surrender now!

9. Hand-Me-Downs

This was a wonderful blessing I did not give thanks for until it went away, hand-me-downs. If you've never heard of this term, you must not come from a Southern family. I, being the youngest of the family, especially received the joy of this aspect. Hand-me-downs are essentially, as their name suggests, the used clothing you receive from older family members. Normally this is simply the leftovers from your siblings, but when you grow up in a large Southern family, you get clothes from each older relative just about. Who needs Goodwill when you can just go down the road to your cousins’ houses? (Thanks for all the clothes throughout the years, Mary and Sarah!)

The only downside of this trend, if you're like me and end up being taller than all your older cousins, this blessing has a shorter timeline.

8. Calories, Carbs, and Fat

This is definitely a blessing and a curse of growing up in a huge Southern family. Food is always an occasion, and occasions always have food. Not just any food, though, but GRANNY’s cooking! Usually if you're from a large Southern family, Thanksgiving is no different from any other get together, which often happens weekly. One plate is also never enough when it comes to Granny’s cooking. No matter how hungry you actually are, it's a sin to not get seconds. Or thirds. Or fourths.

7. Heritage

Heritage is one of the most beautiful things that come from my Southern upbringing. I never understood my friends that didn't know their cousins well. My cousins were next door, down the road, and across the river. I loved hearing all my family history growing up. The ways in which we all connected in turn created who we were.

6. Generations of Clutter and Dust

This may not be the most wonderful or understandable element of a Southern upbringing, but clutter and dust DEFINITELY comes with being raised in a Southern family. Each random broken watch or box of pictures carries a lifetime of stories that never grow old.

5. Family Reunions

In a large Southern family, this is more than a simple gathering: It's an EVENT. It's almost as if we have a family reunion once a month. Unlike some families that complain about family reunions being awkward and boring, in my family these days are filled with laughter and great times.

4. Community-Known

A large Southern family doesn't go unnoticed by a community. I can't tell you how many times I've arrived the first day of school and told how many cousins each of my teachers have previously taught. A large Southern family is known by the community, and often is the community.

3. Story Telling

From ghost stories to memories, a Southern family teaches you to develop a story telling ability. whether it comes naturally or is adapted. Most gatherings, if not all, are consumed by this vital element.

2. Judgment

A Southern family does come with a slight strain of judgment. The family has a huge involvement within your life, and thus, unsolicited advice and/or critiques of your choices aren't unheard of. You learn to take it for what it is, and know they make their judgments out of care for your well-being.

1. Love

At the end of the day, a Southern family is infused with love. We grow together through every high and low. A Southern family gives love through each branch of the tree. Some days might be crazy, yet at the end of the day, you give thanks for the blessing of family love you have each day.