What is "family"? Everyone has their own specific definition of what family is, based on their upbringing, life experiences, & beliefs. I grew up in a "typical" American family: with a mother & father who married young & remained married till death...a family with siblings, pets, a house in the suburbs...the whole nine yards.
I was raised in a Christian home, with parents who modeled hard work, integrity, unconditional love, giving to others, & the importance of family.
Every Thanksgiving, my parents' home was filled to capacity with family & friends, gathered together to share a good meal, fellowship with one another & to give thanks for God's blessings. At Christmas time, we got together at my parents' house or spent a weekend in mountain cabins, enjoying cherished family time.
When their kids were mad at one at another, my parents urged us to make up & not hold a grudge. This was not always an easy task. But we tried to make our parents happy, & we loved & respected them enough to try. That changed when my parents & brother died.
When their kids were mad at one at another, my parents urged us to make up & not hold a grudge. This was not always an easy task. But we tried to make our parents happy, & we loved & respected them enough to try. That changed when my parents & brother died.
Back to my original question: What is family?.......
How I define "family" has changed through the years. For me, "family" no longer represents those who are related to one another through blood or marriage.
I have seen so many families broken apart through dysfunction & toxic relationships. I have come to view family not as a group of individuals who are related, but as those people who have a connection of love & mutual respect, whether they are related or not. I have friends who I consider to be family.
It's OKAY for people to change & to pull away from those they were once bonded to, if that's what's best for those concerned. It doesn't mean the love is gone. It means the priorities & boundaries have changed....and that's truly okay.
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How I define "family" has changed through the years. For me, "family" no longer represents those who are related to one another through blood or marriage.
I have seen so many families broken apart through dysfunction & toxic relationships. I have come to view family not as a group of individuals who are related, but as those people who have a connection of love & mutual respect, whether they are related or not. I have friends who I consider to be family.
It's OKAY for people to change & to pull away from those they were once bonded to, if that's what's best for those concerned. It doesn't mean the love is gone. It means the priorities & boundaries have changed....and that's truly okay.
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