This is a letter to my dad’s side; my large extended family.

Dear Ables family and beyond,

I miss you guys. A lot.

I miss the cousins, the kid-like trouble we got into when the adults hung out. How we ran down the hotel hallways, or we watched videos of funny You Tubers to cheer us up. When we created movies, I directed, they starred, and we chilled and adventured and talked. We were exposed to great music. We played tag in the dark and ran around the yard, my uncles messing around with us in the process. We hunted for ghosts and scoped the boys and drank monsters with candy to party. Sometimes, all we needed was a simple card or board game, and all was well. I actually felt like a kid when we spent time together.

I miss my uncles and aunts:

• I am sorry if I was ever a nuisance. I constantly wanted to spend time with you guys, which I realize, costs you more money, and disrupted your own immediate family time. Thank you for allowing me into your home, and leaving it to make my graduation party. Thank you for helping me with stocks, with my burgeoning interest in business, and golfing. You took an interest in most aspects of my life, and I will never forget it. Thank you for doing my hair, and taking us to the lake as well as feeding us and caring.
• I never visited you guys enough. Your home was always open to me, and I am thankful for that. You are also a contributor to my music tastes! Thanks for tolerating dad every year he took your bulldog statue! I am glad you could make it to my graduation party, it means a lot you could come.
• I stayed at your house a lot too. You always made sure we were fed, and that we had some form of entertainment in the late nights. We had free reign in your house. Thank you for supporting me and making it to my graduation party. In addition, Uncle, thank you for dancing to the Thong Song that one night, you were great, and I am so glad you are okay now!
• The estate sale was fun, and antiquing great. You both are treasures and I love you!

There are so many more people I want to shout-out, but really, you know who you are, you know what you mean to me because you’ve been behind me every step of the way!

I don’t call enough, and if I had eight hours more every day, I would call every single one of you and talk endlessly.

I missed out on so much. I can’t change that. But, I want you all to know that I am always thinking of you, and I cherish all the time we spent together. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish that we could just go grab an iced coffee, or I could be there as a shoulder to cry on, because I have always been here for you even though I haven’t made it obvious. All the cousins, the boys, the girls, my aunts and uncles, whom ever; I am here for you.

Thank you for propelling me forward, and continuing on through-out the years. Here’s to, hopefully, more fun times to come.

Love,

Gabby

Having a large family has its ups and downs. Things happen, because all the humanness of the family permeates each other, and mistakes are made, some worse than others. Even though I am not usually one to forgive, I think it is safe to say that when it comes to family, it is harder to not. Through the struggles, the memories of their being there, and the endless support they've given me, will always be in the back of my mind.

They have proven that blood doesn’t matter. They are my family; I love them and I always will.