On 'FAMILY'...

1) a.
a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family.
b.
a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for: a single-parent family.
2)
the children of one person or one couple collectively: We want a large family.
3)
the spouse and children of one person: We're taking the family on vacation next week.
4)
any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins: to marry into a socially prominent family.
5)
all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor.
As, per, any, dictionary, there exist(s) multiple, definitions of the term, FAMILY; groups of people who, related by blood, or, not, consider themselves clan. As I grow older, and, wiser, I have come to some, realization(s), with regard to what family means to me, and, how I 'fit' into mine. If you are, at all like me, with respect to this, particular, personal, observation, then you may find yourself wondering, once in awhile, 'how is it that I'm related to these people, whom I call 'family', as, often, I feel so disassociated from many of the members of such? Family, offers an array of dynamic, as, it is made up of individuals, all of whom are different, which is, simply, the reality of human-beings, and, human-nature. The act of being born into a particular group of people...into our own family-group, makes for 'interesting' interaction, at the very least. We tend to love our nuclear-group, because they are ours; yet; sometimes, feel unsure as to whether or not we even like them. I've often, thought, or, expressed to others, that I wonder if I'd have chosen, some of, my family members, as friends, if they had been folks that I'd met, throughout the course of my life. I imagine, if all are honest, with their feelings, we might all admit to having felt this way, at times. As individuals, we develop in our, own, unique way...following our own, distinct path...learning our own, very, personal, lessons, and, ultimately, becoming our own, unequaled, selves; due to this reality, we, might, gravitate away from people, whom, once, we may have been close to, when we shared more commonality. As a 'family' member, we will always share the common-bond of family-ties; which, sometimes, seems, the only tie that binds. The thing is, I think that  this is OK, as long as we, always, strive to understand, respect, and, love, our fellow-person, whether he or she be FAMILY...or, NOT. We may not, always, 'get' one another, but, as family, we'll 'be there' for one another...no matter what! Just Sayin'...