There's a lot that comes with being a small family-- just like there's a lot that comes with big families.

I love being in a small family. It's just like in "Lilo & Stitch" when Stitch says, "This is my family. I found it-- all on my own. It is little and broken, but still good... Yeah, still good."

In a way, while I was born into this small family, I also found it on my own. Before I really discovered it, I had searched long for a bigger one. Many of my friends and classmates have large families. I wanted more cousins, more aunts and uncles, and more people that I could celebrate traditions with. Before I even realized it, I was making connections with my friends' families. I had grandmothers that weren't mine by blood, cousins that I'd go see when visiting friends, and could distantly remember my friends' aunts and uncles from the few interactions that I had with them.

Although I'd still consider them pieces of my family, they are not the family I am a part of. My parents and my brother, along with my godfather and mother's parents are the family that I am a part of.

And yes, I do actually have cousins, uncles, and another set of grandparents, but they're not really here anymore; they've either passed away or are distant from my small family. While I do miss them a lot, I've grown to learn and recognize that the people around me are more than enough.

My small family is enough for me. I don't feel pressured to live up to a family legacy, nor do I feel like I need to always please them. Our worth to each other isn't measured by our preconceptions, but by our actions. I've learned how to be an individual through my small family. Likewise, my small family has taught me loyalty, honesty, and respect. We only have each other, so we take care of each other.

Having a small family also helps me to recognize the importance of other people in my life. Those lessons on loyalty, honesty, and respect have shown me to see that in other people as well. There is a special place in my heart for those who have been with me since I was young, but there is another place as well for the friends who will stick with me through the current trials I am facing right now. They help me up when I am far from home, and hold me up when I find it difficult to stay up by myself.

But having a small family isn't always a fun time. It's easier for everyone to know about your problems and mistakes; there's more transparency and less privacy in a small family. Squabbles between two family members can easily rope in the rest of us. No family is without its cracks; we have ours as well. There's a reason why we're broken.

However, even through our brokenness, we come together. Our pieces make a wonderful picture nonetheless, even if it's a bit different than the expected image.

I love my small family. It is small, and broken, but good. They've helped me in so many ways, and I regret taking so long to realize it-- but I will never regret my family.

Still good... Yeah, still good.