I asked 14 people what family means to them.
Here are their answers:
1. "Family is everything."
"It is hard to talk about family when you live so far away from them. I hate every moment I spend far away from them, it hurts to know that I can't be there for them in good times and bad. My parents are getting older every day and I don't get to spend time with them. My nephews don't know me. I can't even share my good and bad life stuff with them being around. I envy those who have their families close by. I get mad seeing some of them not realize the blessing they have. Basically, family to me is everything, and I have to spend most of my life away from that." (Rawad Mitri, 36).
2. "My family is the most important people to me."
"If something happened to them, I would be really sad. I love my family, if they left, I would be so sad. I would hate for anyone to be gone without me." (Marc Mitri, 8).
3. "The idea of family has morphed over the years."
"When I was little, it was a word that I threw around when talking about my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. Now I know the use of the word has changed. It's far more than that. It's unconditional love, unwavering support, and happiness. When families go through hardships, that definition changes again. It's unexplainable, it's the most important thing in the world. I'm so blessed with the family I have. They challenge me and support me. I do the same in return. Its a give and take relationship. A family is steadfast." (Gabriella Abreo, 19).
4. "My small family is the reason I'm alive."
"To know they love me unconditionally is the reason I can withstand living so far away from them. A family is an eternal bond. Sometimes words aren't enough, but it is the gestures that show how much someone loves you. I remember when I was 14 or 15, I was helping my dad with some work and almost hurt myself. His reaction showed me how much he loved me more than words ever could. We're emotional by nature and I like to keep things that remind me of family members." (George Mitri, 42).
5. "My family is my biggest blessing because I know I don't deserve them."
"I don't deserve such loving and supporting people in my life. I'm not always the best daughter or sister in the world but I know they'll never stop loving me or give up on me." (Kaitlin Bui, 21).
6. "You care for each other."
"You share your feelings with them. You can always lean on each other for help. Family is my dad always calling to check on me and my mom rubbing aloe vera on my shoulders when I'm burned. Or my brother asking for a picture of me because he misses me. Sometimes its even when you yell at me because I know you care." (George Awad, 12).
7. "Family to me is the people you've gone through stuff with and the people who stick around no matter what that stuff is. Family isn't only blood, it's the people you're close with."
"Like our group of friends, y'all are my family. I would do anything for y'all and y'all would do anything for me. Some people may not be blood but I love them like family. A family is a bond and I couldn't imagine life without it." (Jayla Jackson, 21).
8. "People can't live alone, not very happily, anyway."
"You have a family so you can be happy because they all protect and help each other." (Roula Mitri, 13).
9. "Family is coming home even when I've had the worst day ever and they make me forget I was upset in the first place."
"They go out of their way to make me smile again." (Mikayla Schatte, 21).
10. "My family is my mom, dad, and brother."
"My dad is nice, he only gets mad at me when I do something bad. My mom, she gets mad at me sometimes and I fight with my brother but I love them. They are my heart. I love you and my cousins. I also love my iPad." (Michou Mitri, 9).
11. "It isn't always blood."
"It is the people you share deep memories with, holidays, those you know would do anything in the world for you. Like you" (Elissa Salem, 21).
12. "Family is the most important thing in someone's life."
"When someone works, gets tired out and might lose hope when they come back to their family and their home, it is all okay. Especially when I see my kids, they make me the happiest. The wife always helps. The husband and the wife help each other. There's a bond that holds us all together until you leave this world. Nobody is ever alone, that's the most important thing. That's all." (Michel Mitri, 41).
13. "Everything, family is everything."
"Actually, I guess it depends on how you define family. If you're just talking about blood family, sometimes it's not everything but if you consider family all those who are there for you and treat you as their own then yes, its everything." (Nick Awad, 18).
14. "Family is a group of people that have kids and keep growing. Every generation is better than the last."
"Family doesn't mean living for yourself, it's living for those around you. Family starts at home. You respect each other, you wish each other the best. This makes a strong relationship, nothing can knock it over. It pulls everyone in, it is like making the family one hand. I worry about all of you because you're all a part of me. Family is a beautiful thing." (My grandpa, 73).
