Family is everything. I found this article online that I found to be interesting, and it made me think, "Hmmm, I wonder what my friends consider to be family?"
So I simply asked a few friends, "What does family mean to you?" These are the responses I got:
"So, family to me doesn't exactly mean that they're blood 'cause I got family that's like friends and friends that are like family. Family is people that you wanna kick it in the backyard and have a bbq with."
"Well, family means everything to me."
"Simply OHANA, ohana means Family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten… Yes, I just quoted Lilo and Stitch. Family also means the people who should love you the most even if you're at your worst, they love you and accept you for who you are and they won't ever ask you to change."
"When you hear people say the word family, it could bring up many different feelings for many people. For me, the first thing that comes to mind is unconditional love. For me, I have a very close family, but I also have friends that I consider my family as well. I believe that there are some people that you don't have to share blood with to consider your family. If you have a strong enough connection with someone and they have your full trust, they are definitely considered family in my book."
The way these few friends think is great, I couldn't have said it any better myself, but I am going to certainly try.
When I hear the word family, I instantly think of my huge family and all my friends. Family isn't always blood sometimes, it's basically just the people that are there for you when you are down and help you pick yourself back up. I don't know what I would do without my family, they mean everything to me!