Story

Happy Thursday, everyone! How's your week been?

Today's Spotlight release is all about family. Depending on your relationship with your family, this may be a hard one to read, but I hope you stick with me through it. I may just surprise you by the end of this!

What Makes A Family A Family?

Some of you might say, "my mom, my dad, my siblings, my grandparents, my wife, my partner, my husband, etc.", but I think a lot of us find that as we grow older, and circumstances change, our definition of what constitutes our family changes.

If you travel over to Merriam-Webster (don't do it now, I got you) and scroll a bit, you'll find this treasure of a definition for a family:

A group of things related by common characteristics.

When you think of those you call family, does that definition fit for them?

In my eyes, a family doesn't have to be just blood-related. In fact, I think family extends to anyone you want to be around, you love and know they love you, and whom you turn to when things get rough or when things are meant to be celebrated.

This is called: chosen family – those a part of your "growing network, [that] can help construct a wide foundation support that grows with time."

If you don't have a great relationship with your blood family, that's okay. You can find support and love from your chosen family. There are people that will come into your life that will fill spots left empty by those that we just didn't quite connect with. Sometimes, it's best to love people from afar.

The Importance of Family

There are several reasons why it's important to surround yourself with those you identify as family. Here are a few you may relate to:

Families allow you to belong to something – Ever heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? There's a level on that diagram that is described as "social", the need for being loved, belonging, and inclusion. It can feel selfish to want to be loved and involved in things happening around you, but really, it's a basic level of need. We're a communal species; we're supposed to want that. Finding people who provide that for you are important on a fundamental level.
Some families may help provide financial security – Sometimes, we need people to depend on in times of need. Your mind may turn to when people borrow/lend money to someone, but think more along the lines of needing a place to stay, switching off to pay for gas on a road trip, etc. Knowing you can depend on someone to help you feel secure is really what this is about.
Families support one another – Earlier, I said that I feel like families mean that you can turn to someone in times of celebration or heartache; that's what I mean here too. Support comes in many forms. Some of us need a shoulder to cry on, help up the stairs, a listening ear, or a distraction. Whatever it is, if there's a go-to person (or group of people) for you when you're happy, sad, hurting, or struggling, hold onto that supportive hand. That's family right there.

I obviously don't know what your family situation is like, but I hope you have an incredible support system surrounding you. I hope they always make you feel loved, special, seen, and heard. I hope you never feel bad for choosing what makes you feel whole.

And when you find those who bring you peace and joy, hold onto them. As this incredible Spotlight card states, "Sticking with family is what makes it family." Stick together. Fight for one another. And always love together.

Here's a note from the Spotlight artist, Nina Van Oordt:

We stick together describes an elephant herd, as they stick together like a close family, even though some are not actually related. They protect the little ones, and they mourn the ones that passed away, even visiting their last resting place for a long time after they left this world (they’re such intelligent creatures <3). This strap can be worn with the people you -like the elephants- stick with like family through the good and bad times.

Be bold,

Landri

Artist

Nina Van Oordt

We Stick Together

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