My Blood Runs Deep.

Over spring break I found this box of old photos at my Grandma's house. I've looked through this box a handful of times without much thought. It's full of old photos of my Grandma, my mom and siblings, my cousins, and some of great-great relatives. 

While looking through the box this time, I found myself wanting to know more about these people. I wanted to know who they were and if they were related to me. I looked at them and asked myself who they looked like. I studied each picture in depth. I looked at the clothing, the hairstyles, and the expressions on the faces. 

Looking through these photographs made me realize how important family is. I've always believed family was important, but looking at pictures from the fifties and beyond solidified the fact that my blood runs deep. All of these people had unique backgrounds. They all had feelings and dreams. They probably laughed a lot and could tell great stories. I'm sad that I didn't get to meet a lot of these family members, but getting to see pictures of them and hearing my grandparents and parents tell me stories about them makes me feel like I did know them. 


I'd like to share a few of my favorites with you here, some of these are from my Grandma's old box of photos and some are some I've had for years. 

We can start with this one of me as a toddler. I ate Doritos and chocolate pudding together way too often. Thankfully I grew out of that flavor combination. And I'm thankful that my hair no longer looks like a combination of Zero from Holes and Nsync era Justin Timberlake.

Here's one of my favorite photos of my parents. This was on their wedding day in 1992. (I'm sure you can see where my curls come from!) My mom is the most loving, beautiful and subtly funny person. My dad is extremely caring, hysterical, and can make a mean sandwich. They still look exactly like this, not even kidding. I hope that the good skin gene will follow me into adulthood. 

My sweet Grandaddy. It's nearing a year since he passed away and I miss him every single day. He could always make our family laugh and was the best guy in the world. I miss hearing him say "there's Rachel!" to me and the rest of us as we walked into the living room. He did this for each cousin, saying "there's" and then their name. I know he's watching me from above and I couldn't ask for a better guardian angel. 

I don't have a photo of my great-grandparents, but I did find this photo of me at their house kicking a ball. That's my cousin Taylor behind me. I never met my great-grandparents, but I have fond memories of going to their house for reunions. I used to be so terrified of the house because there were moth balls everywhere and there was this one room that had a broken mirror in it that terrified me for some reason. 

This one is also from my great-grandparent's house. It's my cousin Bobby and me riding in a pink Barbie jeep that didn't belong to either of us. He's the only cousin I have who is the same age as me, so I feel like we got lumped together a lot. Which I don't mind, he's one of the funniest and most caring person that I know. He's now like two feet taller than me and neither of us could fit in this little car anymore.

Here's a baby me, my cousin Sarah, and Aunt Gail. I don't get to see them much since they live far from me, but every chance I get to see them I am thankful for. Sarah and Mendy (I don't have a picture with her at the moment) are the oldest cousins that I have, and for a few years were the only cousins I had on my mom's side. 

My beautiful Grandma. I love her more than she'll ever know. She's called me Doe Doe for as long as I can remember. I don't get to see her as much as I would like to, but whenever I get to see her it makes me so happy. She makes the best spaghetti and makes friends wherever she goes. 

I love this photo of my Grandma with her brothers and sisters, (my Grandma is in the striped dress). I was only able to meet four of them, but I love hearing stories about them. The ones I did know were always amazing. I remember my Uncle Melvin (second from right) scaring me as a child because he would do the most realistic dog bark every time I looked away. For years I thought he was hiding a dog in his house.

This is me and my big sister Mary enjoying some time in the sun. I'm thankful for her because she always let me hang out with her and her friends even though I'm sure I annoyed them half of the time. She's graduating college this year and I couldn't be more proud of her. I'm also way taller than her now, which always makes people think I'm the one graduating college while they think Mary is still in high school.

I'll leave with these two photos of all my cousins from my dad's side. The Prince kids. It's so weird looking back at these pictures now. Two of my cousins are married, four are in college, and the rest are starting their lives. I miss the days where we would play Survivor at Granny's and freaking out every time someone knocked down the shelf in the hallway. I'm thankful everyday that we all grew up close-knit. I know I can count on any of them if I ever need anything. 

I want people to realize how important it is to ask questions about your family if you have them. Learn about your history. Go to the family reunions even if it's awkward; eat you a hot dog and just listen to what everyone is saying. Dig through the old family photo albums. Visit your grandparents/family members as often as you can. Send them birthday cards or shoot them a text. It is so important to keep these blood lines strong. No one's family is perfect, mine sure isn't. We've all had bumps and fights and difficulties, but don't let those stand in the way of loving those crazy people that the good Lord gave you. 

-Rachel xx