Kindred: of a similar nature or character : LIKE // a kindred spirit
This word has been swimming in my brain for almost three years now. My cousin, Erin, always says we're "kindred spirits." My grandmother has shared the sentiment too, since it is clear we are so alike. It's true on both sides of my family I have cousins and aunts and uncles who are more than family, they're friends. They own businesses and work hard and inspire creativity at every turn. When we get together you can feel the "want to" not the "have to" vibe in the air and it is so good. I guess I didn't truly realize that it's not like this in all families until I got to college. I cried all the way driving back to school after a long weekend and called as little as I could because being away from family was almost physically painful for me. Friends I met at college didn't share the same experience and it was obvious.
Family has always been so important to me and I guess I was set up for it to be that way. I was homeschooled at home with my sisters and when we weren't schooling we were playing and imagining whole other worlds together. When we weren't at home we were at church, or at my aunt jan's flower shop. My mom and dad both made a habit of filling our childhood to the brim with family and by having us so close together in age, they made every day a party. It's that kind of shelter that allowed us to really truly wait up for Santa for many many years. It's that kind of devotion to familial relationships that has made all the difference in my adult life. All five of us are not the same, but we are most certainly kindred sisters. We have similarities you cannot deny and enough uniqueness to warrant the grey hairs on my dad's head.
It's not just with my four sisters and my mom and dad, I experience this kindred feeling with all my family. I can't tell you the number of things I've bought for my house only to find that my cousin had purchased the same items days before. Clothes, home decor, you name it, it's kindred. My mom and her sisters are the same way. They even liked the same bread so much to share it with one another and later realize they both had it at home. There are countless stories I could tell but the point is we get each other, quirks and differences and all we are still kindred.
I know this is not normal. I know this does not just happen. I know my parents worked very hard to make this a reality. I know this isn't everyone's story, but it is mine and I'm going to tell it.
The essence of the word kindred is what I want to breathe into the life I live. I want it to be tangible to people I meet. It is my most precious gift to give. Like my family and my slew of sisters, the creative skills I enjoy all compliment one another. They are all kindred, like the photos I take and things I create. A kindred life, where everything is related and all works together for good is what I want. It's the life Jesus wants for us and promises for those who are called according to His purpose. A life where all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose is one I want. It is a life where all those lovely and not so lovely things are connected and worked together for good. It is the life Jesus offers us. It is the life I want to point you towards here online and in my home. These things are oozing out of me and they need to be shared so here we are. Welcome! It's time to share all the kindred things I love so dearly. The first is this sketch of five silhouettes which represent my most cherished gift, my sisters.
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