Chronicles of Cimino – Christmas is over, Family, and the New Year.

Christmas time has come and gone, and while some see it as a nuisance, I can proudly state that I never lost the feeling and while I am sad that the season is over, I know that my kids enjoyed the magic and splendor. Hell, in my oldest daughters case we will still be watching holiday specials well into January….

This year was a bit different for me in terms of the term ‘Family’ both in its literal and figurative form. I want to say that it began for me in 2013, where the downward spiral with my relationship with the extended members of my family began to take shape. I found myself falling out of favor with a few of them. I could attribute it to one thing or another, but the bottom line is that we drifted apart as people. Not just blood family, but friends that I considered family began distancing themselves too.
At one point, I kept hearing the same thing.
“Well, if all of those people are acting like this towards you, what does that say about you?”
Valid argument. One that I scratched my head with until one faithful week in late July when the proverbial shit hit the fan between myself and some extended members of my family. Say what you want about me, I (likely) earned that wrath and more given who I am and what I do. But when the lines are crossed and you begin dragging my wife and kids through this, and then try to involve the 81 year old matriarch of the family, perceptions change rather quickly.
At that point, I had an answer to the aforementioned question as to what it says about me if all of those people are acting like that. It became quite clear, crystal clear.
Each and every single person whose motives I questioned absolutely deserved it. I have made it relatively clear that I am not a “fake” individual and it is almost to a fault. I do not care if you are a blood relative, or a shindy wrestler that I invited into some deep personal moments in my life, when you find yourself trying to please everybody for the sake of making everyone happy, you lose the unique quality that makes you, you. In a guys case, his balls. Ladies, ovaries.
I am not one to sugarcoat things for anyone, which is why UW didn’t like a lot of the things I would say. Precisely why I can say that I no longer speak to anyone closely associated with UW and for that same reason, the reason that I no longer speak with 97% of my extended family.
Why am I sharing this? To make clear that the term ‘family’ in the big picture is a glorified higher level term for ‘friend’. Some believe that you cannot choose whom you select as your family, but I disagree. I chose the person that I wanted to start one with and created a clan of my own. THAT is my definition of family, not a bunch of folks that intentionally try to put you down because of their own self righteous reasoning.
So when Christmas rolled around this year, I was more at peace saying that I had no interest in participating in any sort of family gathering for the holiday or for the foreseeable future. By taking this mentality, I was able to enjoy this one far more than I ever had before, because I was legitimately being true to myself and surrounding myself with the people that I actually want to be around.
It was enjoyable for both my family, and myself. Remember this, you choose how your holiday can be, just as easy as you can choose who will be around. When you make that peace with yourself, life is more enjoyable.
I am happy that my children were happy with Christmas, and I am happy that I got to enjoy it my way and for once, not be judged by fake people along the way.
So for this New Years, I intend fully on keeping this pattern of positivity in my life while continuing to live my life as I wish and do for the people that deserve it. Additionally, I personally plan on doing whatever I can to help take GERE Network in a positive direction and make 2015 more of a success for the network than 2014 was.
I will soon be graduating college and will be on my way to a better way of life for my true family, true friends, and for myself as well.
To those that have stood by me, and continue to do so, please know that I am beyond appreciative and the same support you give me will be returned right back. For those that do not, you will continue in 2015 and beyond to be the igniter to the flame that keeps me motivated to do better for myself.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.