When you go home at the end of the day, who’s there waiting for you? Is it your parents and/or siblings? Is it a pet? Is it a roommate or significant other? Whoever it is, do you consider them your family? Merriam-Webster breaks family down into eight definitions, including a household, a race or clan, and a fellowship meaning of the word. Sure, it’s easy to say that people who share your genetics or live in the bedroom right next door are your family, but what about the best friend you made when you were 3 years old? That person has been by your side through thick and thin, but doesn’t share your DNA, so does that make them not a family member? What about the boy you’re lucky enough to call your boyfriend? You’re not married to him, but does he feel like family to you?

I think I’ve made my point. I’ve realized very recently that I am a person who very much enjoys forming relationships. I began working for a theatre company this summer, and noticed that meeting new people, learning their names and personalities, becoming friends is something that makes me happy and makes me feel more confident, in a sense. When the first show I worked ended, I didn’t think I was going to be as emotional about it as I was. But then it hit me that I may never see some of these people again, and that was weird to me. I had spent a little over a month seeing these people every day, and then suddenly, not knowing when I’ll ever see them again. When you spend that much time with people and see them in some of their most vulnerable (or delusional) states, you start to form a bond that is deeper than just a workplace friendship. I noticed this happened with people I went to high school with, and also the people I met in my first year of college. In my mind, I have my family-family, my high school family, and college family. Each of these groups know me, but they’ve seen me grow in various stages of my life, so my college friends won’t know what awkward freshmen year of high school me was like, just like my high school friends won’t know what it was like when I moved into my dorm and had my college adventures. The people I’ve met and worked with this summer know the person I’ve become since starting this job. They know the Anna that has never been more confident in the job she’s pursuing. They’ve seen me become more confident in meeting new people and the workplace that I love.

Family isn’t just the people you live with or share DNA. They’re the people who see you grow and learn who you really are at the different stages in your life. They may not always be around, but they’ll have a special place in your life because they helped you become who you were meant to be.