there's one in every family....i wish there were two in mine

there's one in every family. one person, that no matter what, can (seemingly) solve the problems of everyone else's world. the one person that the rest of the family comes to when there is a problem to be sorted, a joint birthday present to be purchased, a family outing destination or really just to have a good ol' fashioned sit down and chat with. 


i seem to be the 'go to' person in my family. as most of us do these days, my family is a little complicated and (probably not, but for the sake of this argument lets say so) more than a little unique. lets just start with the siblings - 3 girls and 3 boys. i'm the eldest boy. the 3 girls are older than me. 2 of the girls have a different mum to me and one of the girls has a different dad. the 3 boys have the same mum and dad. and that is truly - just the beginning.


i've always had a struggle i guess. when people ask me - are you the eldest. the answer is yes, well, no. well, kind of. but i'm not. i'm bang smack in the middle of the 6. and maybe that is why i'm the 'go to' guy. the glue that manages to stick it all together. 


i've just moved back to the gold coast and it's like the 'glue stick' has finally had its lid lifted and has started to stick the family back together. not that there was anything necessarily wrong, it's just that seemingly without me no one makes an effort for each other. but when i'm here, everyone is nicer to one another and more helpful. things get done. by no means am i'm gloating or being egotistical, i'm excited that i'm the one that gets to hold 'us' together. 

in her final tv appearance oprah said - 


but what I want you to know as this show ends: each one of you has your own platform. do not let the trappings here fool you. mine is a stage in a studio, yours is wherever you are with your own reach, however small or however large that reach is. maybe it's 20 people, maybe it's 30 people, 40 people, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, your classroom, your co-workers. wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence. that is your talk show, and that is where your power lies.


so, i'm proud to be the 'go to' guy, the guy that has to have the difficult conversations with people, the one who can organise a dinner for 15 people with a half hours notice - why? because this family, my family (and my friends) are my circle of influence. i have a stage, a platform and if i can help anyone, even just the slightest, then why shouldn't i? 


who's the glue in your family?