All my life we have had friends that were so much more than friends, they were - and are family.

I have cousins, who aren't cousins. Grandparents that aren't Grandparents. Parents who aren't my parents.

This weekend has been a perfect illustration of this. This weekend was my "Grandpa Denton's" 80th birthday. Grandpa Denton was a close friend of my Grandad Biby




No only that my mother is best friends with Carla, Grandpa Denton's daughter. I am best friends with Alli Carla's daughter. Michael (Alli's cousin) is like a cousin to me - we all grew up together. We have so many shared memories like being a "Grandma Adair's" 90th birthday party and staling the sugar cubes. We couldn't have been any older than 5 at the time. And still when you put us together that is the first thing we say to each other. We are family - just as deep as any blood connection. When Grandpa and Michael were in a motorcycle accident we drove to Arkansas to be at their side. Micheal's dad died when Mike and I were young. 2 or 3. It troubles me that I have memories of him and Michael says he has none. My family attends so many of their family reunions I am convinced that most of the extended family thinks we are family members as well.

The other is my Cousin Joe's best friend Mike. Unitl I was in my teens I honestly thought Mike was a member of our family. Mike spends holidays with us. To us Mike and his family are family too. Mike's Grandmas funeral was the first funeral I attended. Now Mike's mom is batteling cancer. It is a saddening situation. She is having difficulty swallowing thus causing her situation to be dire. Please if you are of a praying variety keep this family in your prayers.