Famn Damily

I have a very big family; four brothers and two sisters, 11 nephews and nieces, seven grandnephews and nieces and one more on the way. I'd list the number of first cousins and first cousins once removed and second cousins and second cousins once....oh never mind! Point is, there's a bunch of us and we continue to procreate at a dangerously fast rate --- and we all love it! Each little person is cuter than the next! There's so much joy in my family it really is wonderful!

Don't get me wrong. We have had a good share of hardship. I mean, we're the size of a small town in Alaska for Pete's sake so there's bound to be times when we just can't beat the odds! There have been battles with addiction, divorce, unemployment, illness; but where other families have been torn apart by many of these events, mine has become more tightly knit.

We're not calling each and every sibling every day to check in, but we've got a pretty good grapevine going so we're all pretty in tune with what's happening to whom and when or why. I talk to my sister who talks to my other sister who emails my brother who Facebooks with my other brother who calls my other brother who...wait, I lost myself...anyway, bottom line is, we're all eventually in each other's business and usually it's a welcomed trespass.

I consider myself very lucky; always have. I remember proudly telling my Kindergarten teacher that I had six brothers and sisters and could name them all, in order of birth, first and middle names. Very impressive! That's a LOT of information for a little kid to remember! Oh, and by the way, I'm the youngest (didn't appreciate that fact until I was much MUCH older!) They were all very nice to me growing up even though they'll all tell you what a brat I was (hmmmm...) I remember one night shortly before Christmas, I couldn't have been more than five years old or so, a few of the older sibs came in to my room and woke me up to show me all the things that I was going to give as Christmas presents. They went shopping for me! I don't know if they paid for those things themselves or if my parents gave them the money for it, but it doesn't matter. To this day the thought of it moves me and fills me with love.

I think my parents did a great job. They taught us how to love, forgive, laugh, and appreciate each other. They taught by example by loving and appreciating each other until the day my father died.

I love my family. I'm very proud of my family. My family has and will have to face problems small and big and it seems the older we all get, the bigger the problems are, or at least seem to be. The grapevine will buzz and fall quiet at times. We will get wrapped up in our own spouses and children and slip out of touch for a while but never for a long while. There will be weddings and births and graduations and death. There will be times of joy and times of hardship. But there will always always be someone there for someone else...always.

No matter how we grew up and what we grew up into, we love each other. We may not always like each other or understand personal decisions made, but we love each other. Period.

~Eileen Cassidy Bishop

Girls just wanna have fun

I'm tired. I have a little bit of a lingering headache. If it weren't for the kids screaming and giggling in the next room, I'd think I stepped back in time to when I would go out and party and bar-hop 'til 2 a.m.

Oh wait! I did go out and party and bar-hop 'til 2 a.m.!! Thanks to the kids' Vacation Bible School (shameful, I know), the night started with a triple date with good friends then thanks to our husbands taking the kids back home, the girls headed out to a nightclub in Trenton (or "Tre-in" as the Trentonians say!) It was girls' night out to celebrate a friend's 40th; nine or 10 of us danced and people-watched the night away...well, until about midnight anyway! After watching bumping and grinding for a couple of hours we moved on to a small bar in town where the Karaoke machine was fired up and American Idol wanna-be's crooned or squawked at us through speakers turned up way too loud.

Geez, how old am I?! I remember going to see bands and wanting to stand by the 10-foot tall speakers! Of course, I was watching David Crosby, not Suzy the cashier at the local deli reliving her high school musical days! I'm wondering if that's where my headache stems from. Oh, and did I mention that I personally squawked out Summer Nights with the bartender? Um, yeah...sorry to all my bar peeps out there!

It really was a great night. To think, I would do this weekly (sans the nightclub) back in the day. But the old gray mare just ain't what she used to be so I'm thinking this little excursion should keep me content for a good couple a months!

~Eileen Cassidy Bishop

Invasion of the sweet boy body snatchers

Can someone tell me what happened to my sweet, lovey-dovey, smiley little boy? He was here just a second ago! Has anyone noticed or heard of any UFOs in the area 'cause I'm thinking he may have been snatched and replaced by a cranky, overly sensitive, stingy little non-sharing alien who's mean to his sister and fresh to his parents. Anybody? Anything? No, didn't think so.

The thing is, I know the real kid is in there somewhere. I see glimpses of him often but not often enough. I hear him giggling with his sister and playing happily often. But not often enough. I feel him snuggling with me in the early mornings chatting with me or watching Arthur and I think today will be the day sweetness will overcome meanness and that sweet son and brother will come back one hundred percent. But it's fleeting. His sister gets up shortly after and wants to snuggle as well. And so it begins...the alien rears his head and the sun of another day shines upon his face.

I will not give up. I will continue to use intense therapy of love and patience mixed in with direction, re-direction, and discipline and I know that eventually the good being will take over the creepy one and peace will once again reign over the land (or at least my house). The mission will not be easy. Nails may be chewed, hair (specifically mine) will be pulled out, tales will be tattled, and feelings will be hurt. But I have donned my mother's armor and am prepared.

I just hope victory comes sooner rather than later as though my love for him is immeasurable, my patience is very measureable; one needs only a very short stick!

~Eileen Cassidy Bishop