I have been simultaneously blessed and cursed with a family that extends for miles and generations. A family that consists not of a handful of people that may fit into the confinements of a wide room; but rather I belong to an Arab chain of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins of multiple degrees. In numerical value we break the scale with over 200 members and cannot seem to put a stopper on the reproductive system; alas we grow by the day. Bringing to light one of my numerous fears: being suffocated by a mob of never-ending cheek kisses and accounts of civil gossip. Despite the hard time I have correlating faces to names, I am extremely proud to be part of such a mass. Family reunions and outings come with endless fun, countless stories, and a never-ending party (I’m serious the dancing never stops). Thenceforth this Christmas break I was privileged enough to travel to the states to stay with a bijou of my family. Ergo, you may only imagine the havoc that ensued. The chaotic atmosphere made for an intriguing and elated stay. Alas, this article will depict the inner-workings of a grand ménage- and subsequently the corollary.
To begin, I would like to state that to this day, I am still recuperating after having been back in Kingston for a couple of weeks. That is in due to the irregular schedule and sporadic life I was exposed to during my nine-day visit. We went to bed seconds before the sun came up, and slept well into the day. During waking hours it was a complete and utter war-zone. Adults tripping over meticulously scattered toys the children had forgotten to pick up amidst their prolonged and trivial bicker. Cousins sparring over the use of the shower. Mothers yelling for help with chores. Visitors intruding, would prob a cleaning frenzy. And the use of one car was responsible for the division in pupil whence going out. Alas, the crazy of it all would drive one mad, however, I found it to be quite therapeutic. You see, there is an underlying beauty in the frenetic that is a full house of shared blood and genes. That is in due to the gravity of kin; for despite the battlefield the house had morphed to, the time spent together was one unforgettable and invaluable. Moreover, at the end of the day, when our bodies and minds ached from aggressive activity, we would retire to the family room and thus become one unified front.
Now the erratic conflict and draining schedule were not as prominent as the times of bliss. My family and I made it a personal mission to make our break as memorable as humanly possible. As such, we spent a couple of days at a resort. However, the monotonous activities provided were not enough for us, and so we converted the hotel rooms into an all exclusive party; and the trip back home the after-party. In addition, we explored various places and spent hours bartering stories. We looked through pictures that had captured the entirety of our childhoods and laughed endlessly at the memories we had formed. We reminisced, and planned our futures; reassured and comforted one another. Thereupon, a bond of impeccable strength was formed – one that validates the spirit of family. Alas, this trip was quite literally an emotional rollercoaster, with dips of contention, and twirls of love.
Conclusively, this article was meant to shed some light on how a family as big as mine functions. Although the time spent was of extreme mayhem and the battle scars I’ve acquired will definitely last a lifetime, it was the best time of my life. After all, being mundane is not nearly as fun as being so unflinchingly passionate.