F is for...

Welcome to day six of the A to Z challenge!

Today's topic is one that is near and dear to my heart: family.

Family can be blood and genes: aunts, grandmothers, sisters, uncles, brothers, nephews, fathers. It's people that are bound to you, maybe whether you want them to be or not. They're the people you love no matter what they do, partially because you have to and partially because you just do. They know all the stories, all the tears, all the dreams, all the happy moments. They're the reminders of our own mortality and, sometimes, that insanity is only a breath away.

Family can also be created. It's the close friend we've had since high school, the roommate in college who came home with us on all our breaks, and the coworker that is your work spouse. The family we choose is so totally different from the family we're born into because we feel like they understand us better. Family of choice supports our decisions and ideas, mostly because their beliefs are similar to our own. Especially in cases where we feel singular or alone (due to religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or other lifestyle choices/experiences that cause us to feel socially isolated or separate), family of choice is a critical element to our emotional well-being.

I have both - family of origin and family of choice. I am an only child. No siblings. Yet, I have seven sisters and two brothers, all through my created family. Through my "siblings," I have six nieces and nephews. I love them all as if they were my own family. My siblings call my parents Mom and Dad. They know everything that's important in my life, because I couldn't imagine not sharing everything with them.

Do you have an 'extended' family? Where have you met some of yours?