Common Law Divorce

A few months ago, my aunt and uncle broke up.  My aunt found this new guy and said she wanted a change.  They were together for 23 years... as long as I've been alive.  And then they broke up, and that was it.  And because she is my mother's sister and he is her ex, I just figured that was it.  We wouldn't be seeing him anymore... and I was sad about that.  I miss him... I still think he's a good guy.  

I don't have a problem with her new boyfriend.  He seems nice, he's really funny, and she's really happy so I'm happy for her.  But they act like a couple of teenagers... it's almost disgusting.  I have a little trouble really saying that I like her new boyfriend.  It's just weird to me... he's just here all of a sudden and we're all supposed to look at him as a part of the family.  But... he's not my uncle.  He's not anything more to me than my aunt's boyfriend.  Again, it's nothing against him... I just... I need to adjust, I guess.

The other night, my uncle turned up on our porch.  Very drunk and depressed.  He still really, really loves her and hopes she'll come back to him.  And he kept making sure we know that he still thinks of us as family.  And honestly, I think of him the same way.

What I guess I'm trying to say is that family doesn't have to be blood.  It doesn't even have to be through marriage.  Your family should be the people you love and care about... the people you know would be there for you if you needed them.  I have friends that I consider to be like family.  The neighbors on either side of my house are like extra grandmothers.  And my aunt's ex is my uncle... even if he's nothing but bad memories to her.  That's just the way it is.