My Chaotic Family

I’ll be the first to admit we’re not your average family.

Nor are we a “normal” family.

We love each other and that’s what matters.

There’s me, the head of the chaos. Then there’s Chris, Child #1. Jen, Child #2. And Kev, Child #3. Doesn’t sound so abnormal, does it?

There’s a twist to this story. There is no Mr. Me. There’s just me. There has been a Mr. Me, but not for a long time. So its me, and the three offspring.

That’s one twist to the story. There’s a second twist. Child #3 is the child of Child #2. That makes him my grandson and not my son, biologically speaking.

Child #1 does not live with me. Child #2 and Child #3 live under my roof, for now. Child #2 is moving out and Child #3 is staying with me. I’m the parent to all three children, but not the biological parent of Child #3. I’m his parent in every other way, though. He calls me “Grandma.” He calls Child #2 “Mommy.”

Child #3 calls Child #1 “Uncle Chris,” which is completely normal. What’s abnormal is that they are being raised by the same Mother, except that one calls me “Mom” and the other calls me “Grandma.”

Confused yet? I’m not. It’s a chaos of my own making, my family. I love my family. I love that Child #3 is not being “protected” from the truth of his birth; that he will grow up knowing that he grew in Child #2’s tummy and that “Grandma” is his mom. I love that he won’t get a nasty surprise when he’s “old enough to know the truth.” He will always have known the truth.

Child #1 and Child #2 do not share the same biological father. They have known this all their lives. Yet I never told them this. It was just a fact. It was talked about openly and without pretense of embarrassment.

If I had to tell them now that they did not share the same biological father, it may well be catastrophic. Better to grow up with the truth than with secrets and discover the truth later.

I make no apologies for my “abnormal” family. I chose this life and I chose all my children. Child #1, Child #2, and Child #3. I love them all equally and without question, wishing them happiness in life and may they find as much love as I’ve found in my chaotic family.