And the other...
This is a picture of my cousin (in-law) Jackie and her little girl, Brailyn. The picture of my aunties, coupled with this picture of Jackie and Brailyn (along with the movie Love, Actually) were the inspiration for the opening paragraph of my project.
This picture, like the one of Sandy and Jude, shows me just how strong our family bond is. For a long time, I felt like I wasn't a part of my own family. A lot of that had to do with my own particularly sour attitude at most family functions, but as I grow up, I realize how important my family really is to me. That, more than anything, I suppose, is the reason behind this project. A part from being our final, this project is one way of kind of coming to terms with my previous views on family. I always loved them, but I never really felt like I was a part of them. Jackie married into our family (to my cousin Derek) and even when they were dating, I felt like SHE was liked more than I was. I clearly had issues. But as we grow up, as I get older and the age difference between my cousins and I becomes inconsequential (I am the baby of the family), I realize that it was never about age (though it helps that I can legally get into bars now); it was all about attitude. With no siblings, my cousins are the closest I will ever get to having brothers and sisters. It's never to late to improve bonds with family, and I am trying to do the best I can.