When asked what some would define as family, we most generally say the ones that first come to mind; mom, dad, brothers, sisters and so on and so forth. We might even go on to say the ones we see around the holidays. However, family is much more than that.

I am not saying that this idea of family wrong, but rather incomplete. Family is not always the ones you come home to at night, or the ones you see at the annual reunion. Family is not always blood related or even marriage related. The idea of family is almost restricted into certain means of identification. However, its deeper than that. Family is not always who you were born to, or even what you were born into. Family isn’t always the ones who look or act like you. Family isn’t always what you think it is.

Family can be broken sometimes, yet people we aren’t related to, can help to fit the piece back together. They can be the missing puzzle piece or even the finishing touches on a beautiful work of art. Family can be made up of all different shapes and sizes, colors and pieces. They can be big or small, loud and crazy or quiet and chill. Family can be a welcome home to a lost traveler or a safe haven for the meek. Family is something that many think has all put together, but it can be far from it. Family isn’t always one of the same, it can be mixed up with so many diverse people. Family can be the ones who took you in when you had nothing. They can be different than you, but that doesn’t matter.

Family can be more than just the ones you were born to. Family is the ones who have come up beside you to help you walk the journey of life. They can be the ones who have come up to ease the burdens, the ones to shine a bit of light in a dark spot. They can be the ones who are willing to go the extra mile with you, just to see you smile. They can be the ones who are there to lend a warm hug, in the cold world. Family is the ones you sit around a fire with laughing about who knows what. Family is the ones who are there to lift you up when you’re feeling so low. They are the ones who you are eternally grateful for. Family is the ones who will walk up beside you anywhere in life, and leave a mark on your heart. Family are ones you can be yourself around, not expecting judgmental eye. They are the ones you can laugh with on Wednesday night, and cry with on Saturday morning. They are the ones who come into your life, and never seem to leave.

Family are the ones who will love you unconditionally. They are the ones you know you can call at 3 a.m. They are the ones you can come to when all else fails. They can be the ones who you call mom and dad, even though you weren’t born to them. They are the ones you call aunt and uncle even though they aren’t. They are the ones who you know will always have your back. They are the ones who will still see you for who you are. They are the ones who will always be a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. Family isn’t the ones you have known the longest, but the ones who saw you and chose to stay.