Friends are a staple of anyone's childhood. Whether it's getting into trouble, playing on youth sports teams, or just play dates set up by your parents, these people have watched you grow, seen you succeed and fail, and know your biggest flaws and greatest qualities. What most of these friends become, however, is a second family. They suddenly are at your house when you aren't even there, having dinner dates with your parents when you're out of town, and always available via a phone call 24/7 365 days of the year, though their state of soberness may vary. This is something I've called a "framily" and have witnessed for most of my life through my extended family. Though mine may be small, my framily has undoubtedly helped make me the man I am today.

To begin with, my family, especially my dad’s side, is particularly close. Not close in the sense that we talk every minute of every day but close in the notion that when we get together it feels as if no times has passed. That's extended to most of our friend groups as well, even if it has been a couple of months or years it will only feel like a few days have passed. In my own life I see this is particularly true with one of my framily, his name is Kevin. Kevin moved to North Carolina when we finished high school for college, which he has since dropped out of and started a widely successful company. This has made it so I see him once every year or two in person but it still feels like we are little kids running around my yard. There isn't a moment when we to get the chance to be together that we don't cherish every second, no matter what we are doing. Also, despite running a business, if I call him freaking out about a situation, no matter the time, he makes the time to make sure I'm okay. It's a two way street due to the fact that I'll always try and make time for him.

When I was in college my framily grew both with friends that I went to school with, fraternity brothers, and also friends from the town I went to school in. Whenever I go back I never limit my visit to seeing only friends from school or friends from town. There will be some nights I go out with the fraternity brothers and school friends, others where I am out with my town friends, and even more where I am out with both of these friend groups. That bond with my friends from up in Geneva made me have a second home. This is a place, forever in my life, that I know I can come back to and will have a sense of belonging and community. These weren't just friends I had in college to pass the time in the summer when I lived there. Most of these people have made their way into my framily and taken the 6+ hour drive to see me back home in Boston so I'm not always trekking up to Upstate New York.

What my framily has given me is a sense of security. It was something that I thought I had lost during high school after a series of unfortunate events with people who used to be in my framily. I once again have that group of people I know no matter what I can call, drive to see, or send stupid internet videos because it made me think of them. They are that rock you can turn to when you can't, or rather don't want to, talk to your family. These friends reaffirm or completely blow out of the water anything idea or dream you had. Mainly your framily is that group of people, no matter what, who has your back.