Family

The other night I actually sat in the living room with my dad and we talked for a long time. I usually just do my own thing and stay in my room either watching T.V., doing homework, or listening to music, while other times I am out with friends or my boyfriend. But it was nice to actually sit down and have a conversation with my dad. We started talking about food and different restaurants, and then somehow got onto the topic of when I was born and other family memories. My dad told me some stuff about his mom and dad, who both died when I was at the age of 3, and about my "step" grandfather (my grandma's second husband.) I called him "Poppie", and even though I have no memories of him but of those through my family members, I feel like I know him so well. He also died when I was at the age of 3.
When I was younger, my family and I were close I guess you could say, and actually went on family vacations. But now that my brothers and I are older, we do not really do much family things. My mom and my dad go to work, I and my brother Jake go to school, and we come home each day and talk with each other about our days, or joke and laugh about things sometimes. Sometimes it makes me sad to hear of kids who are my age that still do family things together, like go on vacation, or have family dinners or cookouts, or going to movies with their parents.
My boyfriend's parents are divorced, but both sides of the family are really nice and happy "family" people. Whenever it is someone's birthday, they always go out to eat or have a cookout. Both sides also love going to see movies all the time, and do a lot of other family-oriented things together. Both sides of my boyfriend's family treat me like part of their family. They always include me in any activity that they do, and even though I have known them for 3 years, it is still awkward to me because that is not the family environment I am used to. I remember when it was my birthday once(and they still continue to do this every year), and my boyfriend's mom and step-dad asked me where I wanted to go out to eat. I told them that that was ok, and they did not have to take me out to eat, but they insisted. They even invited all the rest of the family, so Wes' mom, step-dad, brother, and even his step-dad's mom and brother and his brother's kids were there. That many people there from his family just to celebrate my birthday, and I can only imagine how big the tab was! I was thankful that they included me in their thoughts, but at the same time I could not help but to feel awkward. I enjoy being involved with my boyfriend's family, but sometimes I cannot help but to feel guilty, like these are things I should be doing with my own family.
I love my family to death and nothing will change that, I just wish that sometimes we were closer to each other and would have more "family time." So it made me really happy the other night when my dad and I sat and talked for a good while, and I know it made him happy too.