Mi Familia

I always feel weird writing about my family. It's hard to think of something unique to write about, it all seems mundane to me; I've lived with them for 18 years. I always end up coming back to one thing though, my parents professions.



In my family my parent's jobs might be seen as a reversal of the “traditional” family roles. Although my mom is in education, which would be traditional for many women of her generation, she is in more of an executive role. My dad is self-employed and builds and repairs stained glass windows. He used to sell things that he made at the Saturday Market, and work on big projects in churches, but now he mainly repairs windows of homeowners in Portland. One of the reasons he cut back his business was getting married and having kids. Cutting back the business meant that he made a lot less money. Growing up my mom was the one who worked, and my dad was home most of the time. This was different than almost all of my peers, so different that I noticed starting when I was very young. I remember asking my mom why everyone else’s dad had “a big job” but in our family she did.

My dad works out of our home so he can make his own hours and chose the days he works. This was really beneficial when my brother and I were young. I have great memories of going to parks and going on hikes and bike rides. One of our favorite things to do was go to a board walk a few miles from our house (although it felt much farther) and play Pooh Sticks on a bridge there. For those of you who don’t know what Pooh Sticks are I am sorry. It is one of the most fun games you can have with any natural materials (sticks are best), a bridge, and a stream.

It might sound like my mom was gone all the time, but this is not true. Although it was my dad who was home when I got home from school, and my dad who got me up in the mornings in grade school I have always had a wonderful relationship with my mom. I think that her not being the typical “mom” helped me see her as a person rather than “just a mom,” something I think a lot of people don’t realize until well into their adult years. My mom and I are also a lot alike which has also helped with our relationship.

Having a family that is not quite typical has helped me see the world from a different point of view than most of my friends. It has also given me unique relationships with both of my parents, and helped me to be more open in how I view family units.