Family Trees

I tried to make my family tree once. I tried doing it on paper, then ran out of room, so I moved to Microsoft Word where I ran out of room too and the text boxes wouldn't align exactly as I wanted them (and we all know how much of a perfectionist I am...) so I finally signed up to Genes Reunited. Though the sheer number of aspects I had to fill in about each relative annoyed me, so I gave up.

But I did try.

I started reading a book yesterday, Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks. I won't ruin the plot (not that I could because I'm not even halfway through yet...) but let's just say that I started tearing up after reading only one line (admittedly it was the last line of the book, because I'm strange and have to read it first). So I think it's going to be a brilliantly emotional book. But it got me thinking about my own family, and has in fact had me thinking about my own family all day.

Admittedly, I haven't been thinking about my own family in the same context as Nicholas and Micah Sparks' book explores theirs, I'm lucky that I don't have to... But today I've found myself surrounded by strange coincidences that have lead me to wonder who I get all of my traits from.

As I sat in the car on my way to my Grandma's earlier, I noticed a bookmark that my Auntie Jude sent home with my dad a few weeks ago. She does calligraphy as an evening class (or at least that's what I've been lead to believe) and sent home handmade bookmarks for me and my brother featuring our names. Now, I should point out that I wouldn't think this worthy of posting unless I hadn't recently discovered a strangely artistic/creative side to myself. And if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't appreciate the bookmark - but I do. I appreciate it because I know the amount of effort it takes to make something, I appreciate it because I understand how good it feels to make something for someone else, and I appreciate it because it was handmade, and I love to receive handmade gifts. So, my arty side perhaps comes from my Auntie Jude...

I once had a problem with someone in school and my mum ended up dragging me in afterschool once to speak to my form tutor. My mum's always 'got on at me' about bottling my problems up and not telling anybody and just suffering in silence, as it were. And so, nobody was more surprised than I when my mum somewhat loudly and proudly told my form tutor that when she was my age, she too acted in the same way. Of course I had to 'get on at her' for shouting at me so much over it when she's just as guilty of it first before accepting it. It seems I take that trait from my mum. I also take my disability to draw from my mum, which is funny because my dad's quite good at it...

While in the car earlier, my grandma used the phrase ''it's ironic''. Again, this wouldn't be post-worthy unless it was a phrase I am often accused as overusing. In fact, I take more traits from my grandma than anyone else. We're both high-waisted, we both have scars on our left knees (as does my mum, clearly we're all cursed...) and we're both 'natural born leaders', or so people say. People say it so much that my mum was once on the phone to my business/food tech teacher and when she complimented my mum on how well I can lead teams of people, my mum just went ''Well, she gets that from her grandma, not me". Gee, thanks mum!

Then there's my cousin Becky, who is effectively like a sister to me - I mean, we do seem to have the ability to read eachothers' mind. I don't think I have any 'traits' from her, considering she's only three months older than me, but we are quite similar when discounting the fact that she's designer while I'm high street, she's America while I'm Wales. But I like it, it's what makes us get along so well...it's also what once formed our all-exclusive R&R club, though that ended when the company that produced the amazing rainbow notepads we loved so much as kids stopped making them. Damn.

I don't really have a conclusion to this post, other than that you should all go out and buy Three Weeks With My Brother and let it have an impact on your life. I mean, come on, even I managed to be nice to my brother today after reading just a few chapters of it. Oh, and also, find out who makes you the person you are today while you still can, listen to the crazy stories your relatives tell you and never take yourself for granted - because behind every 'good' person is a bunch of completely amazing people. But we already knew that, right?...

Happy Monday everyone,
Rachel

PS: If you're like me and cry easily at TV programmes/films/books/songs and do happen to pick up a copy of the book, don't read it in front of anyone. Trust me on this one.

PPS: If you do decide to find out who you take your traits from, or already know. Feel free to comment and share, I'd love to find out what everyone else's take is on this :)

PPPS: Just a little quote from my grandma that I wanted to share, purely because it amused our whole family on Christmas Eve: "It's them knobs that eat foie gras", not as funny when taken out of context (I don't have the time to explain the reason she said it) but still amusing. There was also: Auntie V - "What did the Cheeky Girls ask you to take off in their hit song?" Grandma - "G-string?!" (it was Trivial Pursuits, we're not that weird...but we are close)