There comes a time in a person’s life where they have their first serious relationship. Not the puppy love, three month long relationship. I’m talking the real, long-term, serious relationship. When you begin to spend more and more time with this person, you meet their family and maybe at first it is a little rocky, but as time goes on you begin to see them for who they really are, how they have formed and impacted this person you are dating, and then bonding becomes inevitable. A real, long-term, serious relationship does not guarantee the promise of working out forever though. That doesn’t erase all the hopes and dreams you placed in the person’s hands, or the plans of a possible, hypothetical future, or even the thought of how it would be to actually be a part of their family. There is a lot to be lost when you invest yourself in a real, long-term, serious relationship. The greatest lost for me every time has been losing the family that was never mine.

I have learned that there doesn’t even have to be hard feelings involved; everything just changes and you know you are doing what is best, but you also know what/who you have to leave behind. But we are forgetting an important part. All the times you hold close to your heart, the Christmas evenings, the Super Bowl Sunday's, the lake trips, all of these are still your memories and still mean something. They don’t end when your relationship does.

When two people break up, whether they remain friends or they don’t, the relationship you had with the person’s mom or the person’s grandparents will be different and the change will be harder to deal with more than anything. However, with change sometimes brings new beginnings. I have been very fortunate to meet some pretty amazing people in my life through my relationships who, despite all my mistakes, my bad decisions, and my tendency to push people away, still offer their kind friendship and see me for who I really am. That is the gain in all of this.

I want to say thank you to the family that was never mine. Thank you for opening your homes, your traditions, your hearts, and accepting me. It is one thing I will never take for granted. At some point in my life, you influenced me and you allowed me to take away some really great experiences from times spent with you. At one point, you were the person(s) I turned to when I felt like I had no one else and even during the times when I knew I did have other people who could possibly help, I still chose you because of the bond we shared. I’ll never forget our times together and I will be forever grateful for every single thing you did for me. You may have been the family that was never mine, but that never changed my feelings towards you and I hope it never does.