Currently I’ve been binge watching the ABC Family show "The Fosters," and the opening credits song is titled “Where You Belong.” I couldn’t get the lyrics out of my head. Check it out below.
"Where You Belong" - Kari Kimmel
So what defines a family? This song is the perfect melody to the definition of family. Therefore, I took the song lyrics line by line in order to explain my definition of family.
"If you're feeling down or weak, you can always count on me, I will always pick you up."
The opening lines hit the nail on the coffin. No matter what happens in everyday life, family is about having your back. Not only being there to catch you when you fall, but also picking you up. As cheesy as it sounds, they’re the people who give you a shoulder to cry on, and a hug when you need it.
"Nothing's ever gonna change, nothing's gettin' in my way, I will always hold you up."
One of the scariest (and exciting) aspects of life is the unknown. It’s hard to learn that change is a part of life. Every stage of life involves a major change, a great unknown. Getting your driver's license, going off to college, it all requires a little faith. Faith in what though? Yourself? Your friends? Your family? I would say a little of each, but the majority is placed in your family. You know that nothing will stop them from having your back even if you fail your driving test or you don’t go to college. It’s faith in the idea that family is never going to change, even when life does.
"Anything, come what may, don't look back forget yesterday, forget yesterday."
Family is there for you as a kind of platform to propel you into the unknown. They help shape the person you’re going to be. So anything is possible, and forget yesterday because you have today, tomorrow, and the next. Tell your parents, and your siblings that you love them. Seize the day, and go be anything. Because no matter what comes, family has your back and will always be there to hold you up.
"It's not where you come from, it's where you belong, nothin' I would trade, I wouldn't have it any other way."
For me these lines hold the most power. “It’s not where you come from, it’s where you belong.” Those opening lines to the chorus clear up any doubt about what family truly is. Family is not limited to such silly things as science. It’s more powerful than that. It breaks the laws of science, and screams "So what!" Being a family is having a place to belong, and like the song says, I wouldn’t trade it or have it any other way.
"You're surrounded, by love and you're wanted, so never feel alone, you are home with me, right where you belong."
You’re surrounded, literally at all times. There is always someone bothering you, asking questions. It’s annoying, right? I absolutely agree, but all those annoying questions create an environment that showcases love. When my sister found out she was adopted, it was scary. We didn’t want her to feel alone, or that she wasn’t loved. I asked her how she was feeling, and her response was "perfect." She said “Mom and Dad chose me. They wanted me."
"I know sometimes you're feeling lost, it's hard to find your place in it all, but you don't have to fear, even when you mess up, you always got my love, I'm always right here."
Life gets messy, and you get lost on your way. Leaving home and going out into the real world isn't easy. You're going to fail at times, and everything is going to go south when you least expect it. That's life, but don't fear because those annoying people you live with and call family are always right there.
"Don't matter where you've been, you're here for a reason."
Like the lines say, it doesn't matter what your past may hold. You will always have your family, your family will always be your family, and you're here for a reason. Simple as that.
Family is more than blood or genes. It about where you belong. Even though my younger sister is adopted, she’s still my real sister. I mean we fight like sisters, and we shared a room for 15 years. I couldn’t imagine life without her.
This one is for you, baby sister. You're my family, and I love you to the moon and back.
