Family, of origin and otherwise

I am off to Florida next week for a roadtrip with my father (now an incredibly fit and only semi-retired 76) and my first cousin (a successful lawyer a year older than me). As I get older myself, deciding how my 'real' family (those related to you by blood) fits in with my real family (those related to you by choice) becomes more interesting. (Actually, my mother once said that it took my turning forty for me to become 'interesting'. But, then, that's my mother...)
In addition, some of my friends (or their spouses) are facing the inevitable life crises that, eventually, affect us all. The loss or disablement of someone you love is a real wake up call.
If you haven't seen Fight Club (and if you haven't why are you reading me?), you won't understand that we're all sitting in the back seat of the car watching the on-coming headlights. I may have painted a portrait and I may have built a house, but I damn sure haven't published my novel yet...
I'll be reporting here on the roadtrip later.
Suffice it to say that some things are important, and so we do them regardless.