Why I Love Family!

Way before single parents were commonplace, shows like The Courtship of Eddie's Father, A Family Affair and The Brady Bunch were supposed to be about oddball families. But c'mon...the Brady's? A six-pack of stepsibs--so what? Or Buffy (not the slayer) and Jody living with Uncle Bill. Big deal! OK, Mr.

French was a little out there, but you get the picture.

Today, TV imitates real life as more and more kids find themselves in very non-traditional living arrangements. Like Joey with her big sister on Dawson's Creek. Or the complicated clan of Seventh Heaven. And how many of you can relate to Grace or Jessie on Once and Again?

Lots of you! A whopping 40 percent of kids have divorced parents. Divorces and adoptions and distant relations all contribute to the distinct fact that families of the 21st century are not nuclear. Not even close. Nope. We've rounded up a group of girls who prove that the families of this millennium come in all different shapes, sizes, colors and combos. And that's cool!

THE SISTER I NEVER KNEW I HAD... AND THE SISTER I ALWAYS WANTED.

MY NAME IS KASEY. I am 11. I have a sister McKenzie, half-sister Kathy, stepsister Heather and stepbrother Bret. Think this is complicated? Wait 'til you hear the story behind it....

When my dad was only 17, he had a girlfriend, also 17, who accidentally got pregnant. They loved the baby, but felt too young to take care of her and decided to put her up for adoption. Eventually, my dad and his girlfriend broke up. Then, my dad met my mom.

My dad told my mom about the baby. She understood and, before long, my mom and dad got married. They always believed that, one day, his daughter "would come knocking at the door." Meanwhile, they had me and then McKenzie. Sadly, when I was 5 and McKenzie was 1, our parents divorced.

A year ago, my dad got some good news! He received a phone call saying his 24-year-old daughter wanted to meet him--this was the "knock" he'd been hoping for.

At our family picnic, my dad brought his "friends" Kathy and Patrick. But about six months ago, my father told me the truth--Kathy is his daughter, and Patrick is Kathy's boyfriend. Shocked as I was, I was also excited--a big sister!

A few months later, we visited Kathy and Patrick. We all had dinner together--Kathy, Patrick, Dad, McKenzie and I. We get to see Kathy a lot now. We're all very excited because Kathy and Patrick recently got engaged. Kathy just finished school to become a nurse, and we are all very proud of her. But that's not the end of the story....

When I was 8, my mom met a man, Bruce, while he was building some neighbors' houses in our development. One day, he came over with his kids. Heather was 7, and Bret was 9. We all played together while Mom and Bruce talked. Later that day, Heather and I pleaded for her to sleep over so we could get to know each other better. Many trips to amusement parks and more sleepovers followed.

Well, it wasn't long before Mom and Bruce got married. Imagine your mom marrying your BFF's dad! It's been three years, and Heather and I still tell each other everything. We don't consider each other as "steps." We consider us to be a family--one big, happy family!

MY SISITER IS SPECIAL.

MY FAMILY IS JUST A LITTLE OUT THERE.

My name is Elyse, and I'm 13. My mom and dad divorced when I was in second grade, but they still live in the same neighborhood--minutes away! Our town is very small. Basically, there's this hill in our town, and my mom lives at the bottom of the hill, and my dad and stepmom live at the top. Most of the time, I live with my mom and sister.

My sister Melanie is 10 and has a disability. When she was just 8 months old, she got sick with a rare airborne virus called Transverse Myelitis. It's a neurological infection that causes inflammation of the spinal cord. One night, my parents checked on Melanie while she was sleeping. They found her looking like a rag doll--she couldn't move any part of her body, except her eyes. I was only 3, but I remember how they rushed her to the hospital while I stayed with a neighbor.

The doctors thought Melanie had the flu and sent her home. She wasn't any better the next day, so my parents took her back to the hospital. They did tons of tests but still couldn't find anything wrong. My parents were very worried but found hope at the Cleveland Clinic. There, the doctors diagnosed her and began physical therapy with Melanie.

Melanie was in the hospital six months before she could come home. When her arms were finally strong enough at 3, she used a walker and full body brace to get around. Four years later, she moved to crutches and leg braces. Now, she can walk for a while without her leg braces. Melanie is very determined. To me, she's not different--she's just my sister. She can't do most things other kids do, like play kickball or run along the beach, but she's happy with the things she can do. She loves to swim, play piano and go for ice cream with her friends. She always gets chocolate ice cream with Gummy Bears.

She has such a positive attitude about things. She has taught me so much, especially that you shouldn't let stupid things get in your way. I know she gets frustrated sometimes, but she never gives up. Like, if Melanie's friends suddenly run to the other side of the park to do something different, Melanie is right behind them. It takes her longer to catch up, but she gets there in her own time. And sure, I say my family is a little out there--but really I just consider my family to be different.