“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones that would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.”

Source: Shutterfly

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What Is Family?

Merriam Webster Dictionary –

1b also; any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family

What Does Family Mean to You

One Answer Given From: Be Strong Families:

I am writing this post on Boxing Day 2020.

Some Background: I first came to the western province of Canada around 1981 because the Pastor I was working for was asked to Shepherd a congregation in Regina, SK. I stayed for a couple of years, becoming married in April 1983. Later on in the late part of 1985 we moved back to my home area to help my home church. Things started to fall apart with my wife taking the baby and herself back to the west. It wasn’t long that the divorce became final. I found myself once again moving back to the west hoping I could bring the family back together. My efforts were not successful.

In the late eighties I moved out of the capital city of Regina and moved to the city where I now have been living here going on twenty-five plus years. After moving here I became acquainted with the person I now call my best friend. One day I had a knock on the door of the apartment I was living in. The apartment was the only thing I could afford because of the limit on my support. My friend asked if I would be interested in buying a trailer on a rent to own basis. I went with him to meet the guy who owned the trailer to take a walk through. I like it the place even though it needed some critical upgrades.

Our friendship grew and we began to share some things that we both liked. We had our differences, but, no relationship is completely void of differences. Some time later I was introduced to his mother. We hit it off almost from the beginning. Then one Christmas I had her and my best friend over for a New Year’s Eve dinner. I bought some simple Christmas presents for her. This friendship also grew to where she would tell people, even her own family, that I was her son from another mother. Up to the last time we saw each other I called her mom.

By the way, my best friend is seventy-six years old. The friendship grew and I thought of him as an older brother, one thing I never had.

Christmas Day 2020 we shared a simple Christmas meal together. It was very peaceful. As we were eating I began to think about this friendship. It really feels like family.

I have lots of family in the east, but only one who I keep in touch with. My family here in the west consists of my daughter and three grandchildren. The is the extent of blood relatives.

Today families have a different face than what would be considered family back in the fifties unto the early part of the twenty-first century. There is what is called a “blended” family. Such as the Mayor of New York Bill DeBlasio.

I may find myself in trouble with this next few statements. I find I believe that a family is more than the red liquid that runs through our veins. We have heterosexual, gay, blended, and mixed. All those are families which love, support, comfort, share, and nurture each other.

This Christmas forced everyone to change how people celebrated these holidays. Restrictions that were put in place to try and stop the surge of covid-19 was different from the east all the way to the west.

So dear reader I spent Christmas with a family member, a member whose blood line was far removed from me. I hope you will see that the meaning of family is how you define it!