What exactly makes someone your family? Maybe it's blood, or friends, or a mix of the two. This is something I have been questioning for years, but now I have finally come to a conclusion about what family means to me.

I live with both of my parents, and my older brother. There are four people living in my house but somehow I have always felt alone. I have seen my friends interact with their parents and siblings, and always wondered how they were so close. It was always easier for me to talk to others about my personal life rather than my family. I have never been as close as I would like to be with them, but it was just how things worked out.

After having no one to talk to, my friends, and their parents became my go-to people.

This is how I decided what family means to me. A family is simply the people who love, and support you. The ones who are there for you through your best and worst moments. The ones who try to build you up rather than break you down. They are the ones who will pick up the phone when you call, regardless of the time. They are the ones who recognize your stubbornness, but still try to steer you in the right direction. A family is the people who you feel happy, comfortable, and safe with.

Why limit family to just blood? If you find people who love and support you, just as your own relatives do, what makes them any less of a family member? My family is the people I hold a strong connection with. They are everywhere from New York to Florida. They are my blood relatives, friends, “family-friends,” my brother’s friends, my roommate, my fraternity, my co-workers. My family is the people who love and respect me at all times.

How ever you choose to define family, always be accepting towards people. Just because someone does not have the same beliefs as you does not mean they are wrong. You may be someone’s family so it is important love those around you at all times.

Make sure the people you call family know how much you appreciate them, especially at this time of year. Sometimes we all need a reminder that there are people out there who love us.