Family: for better or for worse...

My family is very strange.  I'm sure a lot of people say this about their families and it may or may not be true, but when I compare my family to my friends families, mine seems rather...
weird.

I don't have a huge extended family with a lot of members, just a few with huge personalities.  My grandfather, when he was alive, was known for his chronic abuse of his mental filter.  He has approached a random stranger in a store and said, "Did you know you have one blue eye and one brown eye?!?"  He loved to point out ill fitting articles of clothing (especially undergarments) on his grandchildren and apparently, when he met my father for the first time, questioned him about his beard with the following statement: "Why are you cultivating on your face what grows wild on your a**?"  One of my uncles loves really ridiculous jokes and another has been banned from grocery shopping with his wife or children due to his inability (or disinterest) in controlling his own wind. 

When I was in high school, I invited my boyfriend to a family get-together.  I did try to warn him that they were a bit unusual but he insisted that he would be fine - after all how bad could it be? he said.  At the time, most likely due to my inexperience, I didn't realize just how unusual my family would appear to this guy. 
             Mistake #1: Introducing my boyfriend to all the members of my family at once.
I remember that I had been helping in the kitchen for awhile with some of the food so I went out to search for him. 
             Mistake #2: Leaving my boyfriend alone with all the members of my family at once.
When I finally found him, he was sitting in what can only be described as a vertical fetal position on the couch.  He refused to speak to me, even when I asked him if he was okay and if he wanted anything to eat or drink, simply answering my questions with a quick nod or shake of his head.  He spent the rest of the evening in this fashion and was VERY quiet during the drive home.  I'm surprised he was even able to drive, he seemed so traumatized.  I felt absolutely terrible for him and vowed I would NEVER do this to anyone else!  Shockingly, we did continue dating for awhile after this episode so I can only assume he was truly desperate for a girlfriend. 

My family considers me a bit of a prude - I know this because they have told me.  I have also shocked friends and co-workers when I have said or done something that is inspired by my relatives.  It is apparently so 'out of character' for me that no one really knows how to respond.  I usually apologize and start back-pedalling.  Friends that have known me for awhile are used to it but new acquaintances are often very confused! 

After reading all of this you might think that I dislike my family but nothing could be further from the truth - I love them very much just the way they are.  Why?  Because they love me just the way I am.  They know me, they know I'm a Christian and that I don't always appreciate certain jokes so they try to tone it down when I'm around.  I know them, so I don't get offended when someone makes an off-colour comment.  I can trust them to always tell me what they're thinking, even if it might be hurtful to hear it.  In a culture where it's acceptable to say one thing to a person's face and another behind their back, this is a wonderful gift.  Yes, they swear and drink and tease me because I don't, but I also know it's just that: teasing.  Having fun.  There is no pressure to be someone I'm not or to do something that I don't want to do.  Since no topic is taboo in my family, everything can be discussed including relationship problems.  I also know that, because they love me, they would have my back if I was ever in any trouble.  Some of my family members may seem rough on the outside but they have the biggest hearts of anyone I know. 

Yes, my family is very unusual.  They can be rude and crude.  They have been, and always will be, supportive and loving.  They are honest, caring, and accepting.  If this is considered the opposite to a normal family, I would much rather stick with the one I've got! 

I love you guys...