My family consists of seven siblings, my parents, grandparents, two nieces, two nephews, two in-laws, and all our combined friends. It's mayhem, but it's our mayhem. If you come from a big family, here are some things that you know to be true.
1. There are constantly kids everywhere.
You probably have a hundred (or what feels like a hundred because they're so loud) nieces and nephews running around your house at any given time. Then, they bring their friends over and their friends have friends and your little siblings have friends, and before you know it, there is a child everywhere you look. There's no escaping the questions that they have. You are trapped.
2. Your family functions are less than perfect.
Whether you're fighting with your older sister, younger sister, niece, nephew, or dog, there's always some kind of drama going on. And, something always goes wrong. Maybe your dad bought the wrong spaghetti sauce or someone lost their toy and they're having a meltdown. No matter what there's always an issue.
3. There's someone to help you with everything.
Everyone in your family is really good at doing something different, which really comes in handy in your time of need. Do you have an arts and crafts project, and you're not artsy at all? Have no fear, your older brother is an art prodigy. Do you absolutely hate math? Not a worry! You have a sibling who's a math wizard! Literally, any problem you may face there's someone to give you advice or help you.
4. Your family is already massive, so they just welcome in others.
What's one more person when you already have a house full of people? Your friends, your neighbors, your neighbors' friends, the McDonald's drive-thru worker, they're all invited to come and hang out on your family dinner day!
5. Family meals are always HUGE.
Go into your kitchen. Once you're there, open the cabinet, and find the largest bowl that your family owns. Now, add about three more of those, and you'll have enough room for all of the spaghetti that your family will eat.
6. Privacy isn't a word in your vocabulary.
Time alone? What does that even mean? Remember when I said there was constantly children running around your house? That includes them running through your room while you're changing, banging on the bathroom door when you're trying to use the restroom, and eyeballing your plate of food that you just made for yourself.
7. You're always surrounded completely by love.
No matter what the circumstances are, you always have someone to run to for a hug on a bad day. Even when you haven't spoken to a sibling because you're fighting, you know that they love you with all of their heart and would drop what they were doing in a heartbeat if they knew you were in trouble and needed rescuing.
Having a large family is in no way, shape, or form perfect. There's always something going on, and you never have time to relax. But, I wouldn't trade my family or the memories that I've made with them for anything. They are my rock, and I couldn't live my life any other way.
