Love In Our Blended Family

Whenever I tell people about the story of our blended family, more often than not they are amazed at how lucky I am. They say that our story is inspirational because it just goes to show that no matter what happens in our life, there’s always hope that our story will still have a happy ending. It’s an example of second chances and of being able to turn your life around when the road you have once chosen didn’t turn out to be the right path. I can’t help but agree. I am lucky. I am blessed. Most of all, even if our life is not perfect, we are happy…. and it all started because of love.

Obviously, Kai and I became a couple because we fell in love with each other. It all just really started with that. As simple as it may sound, it really wasn’t easy for us because of my circumstances at that time – newly separated from the ex-hubby plus with two young kids. We knew then that being together was going to be a great challenge but thankfully, we were both brave enough to follow our hearts and were willing to do everything in our power to make our relationship work. It has been almost four years now and I still can’t help but feel butterflies in my stomach every time I think about that first year as a couple. I look at Kai now and can’t help but feel thankful that I followed my heart.

Love is obvious of course between me and my daughters. I obviously thought of how this new relationship will affect their lives. I knew there will definitely be adjustments but because of my love for them, I wanted to provide them with a loving and secure family. I wanted them to grow up seeing for themselves that although some relationships don’t work out, others do. I wanted them to believe in second chances and to believe that hope and faith exists.

Of course, I wouldn’t be in this relationship if love didn’t exist between Kai and my daughters as well. It wasn’t enough for me that he accepted them. I wanted him to love them as his own. I am lucky that he does and I see that every day. There are times when he’s actually the one who notices things about my daughters that need my attention. He thinks of them at all times and would sacrifice for them. That is why it wasn’t at all hard for Zoe and Ziya to love him as well. Though they still love their dad, they think of Kai as a dad too and are thankful for everything he does.

The four of us would have been good enough, I think. But God decided to give us a blessing that bonded the four of us even more. He gave us Ziggy. Ziggy is part Kai, part me, part Zoe and Ziya. He brought all of us together even more. He is the product of love between Kai and I. He’s also a product of Zoe and Ziya’s prayers for a baby brother. Ziya even says she doesn’t like it when Ziggy is referred to as her half-brother. To her, Ziggy’s just her brother, period. The girls love him so much and seeing that in their eyes just warms my heart. Oh, and I know Ziggy loves them too. He just lights up whenever he sees them. He definitely has a lot of fun when they are around. I know that when they grow up, they will always be there to take care of each other.

I didn’t mean to sound sappy or sentimental. I just got to thinking about love since it’s almost Valentine’s Day already. It used to be that I thought of this occasion as celebrating romantic love. I’m just really happy it has taken on a deeper meaning for me. My family – Kai and the kids – that’s what LOVE is, and that’s definitely worth celebrating not just on Valentine’s Day but everyday.