Family

My family is very interesting to say the least. Ever since I can remember every major holiday at my family’s annual gatherings there has been an elephant of some kind in my grandma’s living room celebrating with us. Always at least one relative missing for some embarrassing reason or some family catastrophe for everyone to be distracted with. Sometimes its a new family member to get to know or even an awkward stranger playing relative for the day and giving my mom and aunt something to gossip about. No matter what the drama my grandma Mary, never judging and always willing to lend advice, is there for everyone acting as the glue that holds our family together. My family has had to deal with a lot over the years but somehow we still manage to meet every holiday to share a great meal together.
I am a little closer with my dad's side of the family only because we all live in a pretty small vicinity on the local beaches. My mom's side of the lives in Bakersfield and we don't get to see them as often. My grandpa and grandma on my dad's side are named Mary and Jerry. They have three kids Billy, my uncle, David, my father, and Kathy, my aunt. I have one brother Adam who is three years younger then I. My aunt Kathy has two kids, my cousins, Tyson and Tasha. They are both a few years older than me but I am not sure by how many. Tyson has fives kids all different moms and Tasha has had some problems over the years.
Billy had one son Bryce. He was a year younger then me.  We were very close, more brothers than cousins, surfing together everyday. Bryce had it hard growing up. His dad Billy had drug problems and when we were younger was in and out of prison. Bryce was pretty much left to fend for himself and spent a lot of time at staying with me at my family home or with my grandparents. We became not only brothers but best friends, going to school and getting in trouble together our whole lives when something changed. I was always very active. My parents always made sure I was not only surfing but playing organized sports and staying very busy. Bryce did not have that structure and was soon addicted to drugs. He proffered prescription pills and developed a very strong drug habit which devoured his life and destroyed his emerging surfing career. He struggled with addiction, like his father, all the way through high school finally overdosing a few years ago.
My family, the community, and I were devastated. I do not know how my grandma held it together but she did, and my family may not have made it through if it was not for her strength and support. Bryce was more of a son to her then a grandson and somehow she overcame the devastation and brought the family out of depression. I miss Bryce very much, my whole family does, but because of my grandma we have learned to move on and live our lives. I can not wait to see her and the rest of my family, no matter how crazy, at our next big get together. No matter what lifestyles your family members choose or stupid life decisions they make always give them all the love you can because you do not know when they will be gone.