On Love, Life and Family. My World in Pictures

Start the video, turn up your computer's volume, and then scroll down to view
my pictures and read my text. The video will provide background music.

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This is my grandson Tristen. God I love him. Do you know what's important
to me? I want my grandson raised feeling loved, a part of a family, having a
place he can call home (where those who love him are). To see that he is
raised without trauma in his life, and that he never feels abandoned.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/JAZMIN21279.jpg

The next picture is of Tristen and his mom, Jazmin. Jazmin is my honorary
daughter, not a daughter-in-law. She and my son are still figuring out the
daughter-in-law part. I love her like a daughter. She confides in me like
my own daughter too. She will always be my honorary daughter. My heart
is her heart.

Jazmin lives with me most of the time. So far every time she has tried to
move out it just hasn't worked out. Jazmin knows that she will never be
homeless as long as I am alive. My home shall always be her home.
Don't get the wrong idea about Jazmin. She has 3 part time jobs,
she is going to school, and she splits duties taking care of Tristen with
my son. She is very motivated.

Its not my duty to control Jazmin's life. It's my duty to support her,
to make her feel loved. To make her feel a part of my family. To
make sure she has a place she can always call home, and to make sure
she knows I'll never abandon her.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/JazTristenatBeachLarge.jpg

The red head is Casey, she's Jazmin's friend, and another one of the many
young adults who are in and out of my home regularly. My home is their home.
My kitchen is their kitchen. I love it when people walk in the door without
knocking, say hi, walk into my kitchen, open the fridge and help themselves.

Its not my duty to tell these young adults how to run their lives. When they walk
in my door, I want them to feel loved, I want them to feel like they are a part of
a family. I want them to feel they can call my home their home. And I want them
to know that as long as a heart beats in my chest, they are never without a place
to call home and they are never without a family.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/CaseyJazTristen.jpg

Some people's idea of the perfect life is an orderly life with two kids, a dog,
a cat, a college fund for the kids, a mortgage and a freshly mowed lawn.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/JAZMIN004.jpg

But my experience has been that life is not always "orderly" or "neat".
Sometimes life is messy. You can choose to allow the mess to stress you out.
Or you can let go, open your heart and home, and love people, embrace the
mess, and embrace life. Love, Life and Family.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/DSC00095.jpg

Although it sounds chaotic, everyone finds peace, refuge and comfort here.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/Hottub.jpg

We all need to know there is a place where there are people who genuinely care
about us. People who will give us the moral support and friendship we need. People
who will never abandon us. We need to know there's a place we can go to have a
roof over our heads, food in our bellies and a warm place to sleep. A place where we
feel safe. Those people are our family, and that place is our home.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/SleepingPrince.jpg

Those are great pics thanks for sharing!

Beautiful!! Wow! Thanks for sharing! You have a lovely family!

You are one great guy, and it looks like being so has brought lots of love and fun to your life!

Hugs to the little one!

Both pictures and words are beatiful!!!

George, you are an amazing man. Everyone who is a part of your life is so fortunate.

Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us! Great thread! Beautiful baby.

Simply beautiful George; you never cease to amaze me. Take care of you;)

I ran out of room in the last post, but I wanted to include a picture of Tristen with his Dad,
my son Justin. Justin is the best dad I know, I mean that in all sincerity. My grandson is in
good hands.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/gp_fillmore/JustinTristen.jpg

Awe! Wonderful pictures! Wonderful words! You're one heck of a guy George! And your family is gorgeous (adopted ones included!) :D

Just beautiful.

Aww George ...what a wonderful family...even the "bonus" family. Your grandson is adorable!

Justin is the best dad I know, I mean that in all sincerity.

I think the apple didn't fall far from the tree hun. ;)

KK

All the kind thoughts are appreciated. But if anyone would like to share their own feelings on love, life and family please feel welcome.

One of the themes recurring in my first post was the re-assurance I give people that they shall not be abandoned. Many people have abandonment issues. To tell people that there is a place they can go to find love day in and day out for the rest of their lives brings tears to eyes. Even the eyes of the guys. Unfortunately everyone has been loved and had that love taken from them.

To say "I love you" to some one is something that should not be done flippantly. Real love is not "just" a verb, it is a contract. It is a committment. Love is not for emotionally immature people, or the selfish. When love is given there should be no strings attached. No strings has double meaning. First it means there are no expectations for the recipient. Second it means the love cannot be taken back. Think of a yo-yo without a string. Love is a committment that MUST be kept for the rest of your life. Love that comes and goes like an emotion offers nothing to no one. Love that can be taken back when somebody gets angry, or when the recipient no longer has anything to offer the giver, can hardly be considerd comforting, it is NOT truly love. Love like that is more akin to being held hostage, its a control technique. It means the recipient has to walk around on egg shells to make sure that the giver doesn't become upset and retract their love.

My definition of love is this: to care about somebody as much as you care about yourself forever, because they are important to you. This is what is offered at my home. This is the example I am setting for the "regulars" who are in and out my doors.

How is this relevant to a relationship support forum? Reflect for a moment, what sort of love do you offer a companion? What sort of love have you settled for?

the old guy

george you are a big softy, and i mean that in the kindest way possible...and that baby is *too* cute. he is lucky to have such a caring grandad :rolleyes:

This is a lovely post, George. What a wonderful, big, happy family!

I grew up without a father, but was looked after and doted on by my mum and nana. I'm a single child but never felt alone and I wasn't spoiled. We never had a lot of money therefore we rarely bought each other gifts. We didn't feel that there was a need to, we knew we loved each other and that was enough. A lot of the time we just make each other gifts.

My mum made a lovely gift for my 31st birthday just gone. In a small box she had written little stories from different stages in my life on separate pieces of paper, kind of like a memory box. You have no idea how touched I was by this, I can't recall the last time where I have laughed or cried so much! It was wonderful to feel these kinds of emotions again. I never realised how mundane life had become and that I had practically become a walking zombie, lacking any real emotions. Getting this memory box made me experience feelings that I haven't had in a long time.

My Nan was always like a second mum to me, we are extremely close as well. We will always have a special bond. She always drove me to horse riding lessons, german classes, tennis classees when I was growing up. She always used to rub the Vicks Vaporub on me when I was sick, oh how I detested that stuff!! She used to rub the stuff on my chest and back when I was little, and with so much rubbing it always felt like I was sunburnt afterwards...lol.

It must have been difficult for them to raise me on their own but it never showed. They are two incredibly strong, nurturing and loving women who I love dearly.

S-J-O

What a wonderful mum & nana you have. Your life has been so enriched by them. Their love is so very real. They were there for you, nurturing you, day after day after day. It wasn't about "feelings". I'm sure there were days they wished they could have given up. Love to them is a committment. They created a home for you, and they were your family. The security of that home and family is what gives you the warm feelings you have when you think about them today. You never worried about losing their love or not having a home. We never stop needing those things. Thank you for sharing such touching memories.

the old guy

Thanks George, and thank you for starting a lovely post. :)