This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.
Being a blended family is no easy task. It’s been done since the dawn of time, though; even in biblical times. Joseph is probably the world’s best-known and greatest step-dad ever!
Well our blended family dynamic is one we are consistently working on. As people change and grow, so does the dynamic. Jordan is our youngest. He has always been our “quiet one”. But, just like his dad, though he doesn't have much to say, when he does, it’s funny, crazy, or profound.
I remember showing him how to tie his shoe: “Over, under, around, and through…that’s how Jordan ties his shoe!” I remember him saying the word shoes in Spanish – “zapatos” – and he would crack me up every time because of how deliberate and intentional he was about it. I remember him saying he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up so I arranged for a tour of a firehouse – he screamed and cried the entire time, louder than the firetruck!
Once, he came home and said, “I’ve been thinking about what you were going to cook for dinner aaall day! You’re a good cooker!”
All good memories. I would be remiss if I told you it’s all been cheese and lollipops, though. Of course, we have had disagreements. Of course we have had misunderstandings. Of course we have had moments of pain, suffering, and disappointment. But that happens in ANY family.
I am grateful for Jordan. Without him even knowing it, he has changed my life in so many ways. Chelsea and Cameron are so outgoing and (booyah!) “in-yo-face”. I've watched poor Jordan take a back seat to that so many times – but with quiet fortitude and grace. I've learned that you can scream something to someone in a relationship without ever making a sound because of Jordan. I've learned that sometimes that’s best. I've also learned that you can love a child as though they are your very own, even when they are not because of Jordan. I've learned that a blood relation does not mean unconditional love, but rather unconditional love deepens a relationship. I've learned, because of Jordan, that there are more than two sides to every story, and that truth is vital.
I spend a lot of time writing blog posts about my family because they've all been strategically placed in my life to continue to form and mold me. I blog about all the paths these people in my life have crossed and the way it’s made me become She – the way it’s helped me form my living legacy and the legacy I leave behind. I've written about crossing paths with many different people, but before today, I’ve yet to write about crossing Jordan and the difference he’s made in me.
Who has made a difference in your life that may not get quite the credit they deserve? Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
These images are © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.