Really?

My original intent of this blog was to keep our friends and family (those that cared) up-to-date with some of the crazy things that were happening in our life. I love sharing pictures of the kids and in a way, it's been my own digital scrapbook of their lives because not only do I post my favorite pictures, but I recount the best stories of what is happening in their lives.

It's also been therapy for me. I've gone through trials and tribulations with Ronan's eating habits and Riley's life of a 15-year-old stuck in a 7-year-old body...in many ways, it's my diary. I haven't shared the most awful events of my life -- not because I didn't want to share, but because it would have been dedicating more time to a subject not worth discussing. Until today.

In previous posts, I've said 'family is a loose term.' And I mean that. Just because you're connected through marriage or by birth, doesn't make you automatically entitled to having an enriching and lasting relationship. Things happen, emails are written, mean voicemails are left, mail is sent back and well...relationships end. Without going into major detail and copying/pasting emails...this is our life with my in-laws.

Today, an email was sent to me by an in-law sibling requesting that I "password protect" my site to avoid hurting the feelings of her parents. This is the same sibling who in her last email demanded that we not contact or respond to her again. Originally, outrage ran through my veins until I came to the realization that I no longer owe them anything. When the hurtful emails were written to us, inappropriate voicemails were left and it was clear that the 4 of us were no longer a part of that family -- we moved on. Does it suck that it's like that? Sure. Who wants to have dysfunction in a family? But have the 4 of us become stronger because of it? Yes. We have learned to depend on the family we do have. We have family that has stuck by us and are fortunate to have them -- and we love them for that. But, I also know what our lives have been like for the past 5+ years and ultimately, it's a case of "nothing is better than something."

Enough is enough already. I am not going to password protect my blog to protect people who haven't been a part of our lives for years. And, I was reassured by this sibling in her last email that she has no desire to read my blog again so I have nothing to worry about.

Thanks to all my readers who have visited my blog and continue to do so. I enjoy keeping up with it and plan to change nothing...except now y'all know a little more about me and where I'm coming from.