My new life in Canada is sizing up to be what any other life anywhere else would be.... LIFE!!  It has all the same plot twists, adventures and drama that any other life would have.  Whenever there is family involved (no matter whose it is) you can bet drama will ensue. 

I'm happy to say that after nearly 17 years married, for the first time, I am extremely in love with my husband.  I am learning to maneuver around his idiosyncrasies, which would sometimes make me a stunt woman!!  What normally would cause a huge breakdown in our relationship has been diminished in nano-seconds.  Our desire to tear each other down has been removed from the equation.  Life is just a simple as life can be - right now. 

Enter Family --  where drama left off in our previous life, family revitalizes for us in this one. 

My intentions are not to offend anyone but it seems that whenever others are involved in your life or insist on involving you in theirs'.....  the outcome is usually, if not definitely, DRAMA!!  Drama always takes on a life of its own once it begins and there is always that ONE person that you can count on for getting the ball rolling.  In my family, my mom had a lovely way of constantly pitting my brothers and myself against one another.  Not because she wanted us to hate each other but she really didn't have anyone to tell her problems to and 99% of her problems were us kids!!  As any loving child should, we would run to the rescue of our mother and defend her honor to the child that was 'in her sights' at that moment. 

Now that Mom has passed, I find it is much simpler without the arguing but without her we have no relationship at all.  Our common ground was our Mother and complaining about the way she was always making us look bad to each other.  Now our only common ground is missing her.  That separates us more than bringing us together. 

Needless to say, every family has its own dynamic and let's just say not everyone gets along.  My birth sign suggests that I try to keep everyone happy and maintain balance (Libra / Scales) but sometimes I get caught up in the moment and my mouth tends to override my brain.  There is also the time when something I say is taken totally out of context and blown out of proportion.  I never want to be in any one's cross hairs when the proverbial shit hits the fan!!  I don't handle controversy well. 

The holidays are soon upon us and families will gather...........putting aside all the drama from the year and smiling with one another; forgetting any animosities.  This time of year makes me long for the days when I was confronting my brother for causing my mother stress and gathering together at her request to smile and forget our disagreements. 

Cheers to the drama for it brings families together..