What does family mean to you?

hollylangman37

I was having a chat with some friends the other day and found it interesting how we all defined what family meant to us differently.

So what does it mean to you?

thorsoak

My birth family nurtured and educated me, gave me my values and love. These, hopefully, I have passed on to my own family, and my 4 children are passing on to their families.

My birth family made mistakes, I have made my own mistakes, and no doubt my children are making their own mistakes - but the one most important thing that I hope I have passed on is love!

And what constitutes my family? Now, my brother & sister in law, their children, my sisters & their husbands and their children, my late OH's cousins (he had no brothers or sisters), and most importantly, my childen, their partners and their children. I am blessed x

McKneff

thorsoak wrote: »

My birth family nurtured and educated me, gave me my values and love. These, hopefully, I have passed on to my own family, and my 4 children are passing on to their families.

My birth family made mistakes, I have made my own mistakes, and no doubt my children are making their own mistakes - but the one most important thing that I hope I have passed on is love!

And what constitutes my family? Now, my brother & sister in law, their children, my sisters & their husbands and their children, my late OH's cousins (he had no brothers or sisters), and most importantly, my childen, their partners and their children. I am blessed x

Wow Thorsoak, what a lovely post, exactly my feelings.
I am totally 100% happy when my family are altogether round my table or we alll go out together for a celebration meal. Sometimes I ache with love for them all

One word sums it up - Bliss

silaren

To me, family means love, home, warmth, feeling connected, people who are there for you just because. Who do things for you because they want to see you happy and would drop everything if you needed them to. The people who make you smile and laugh and can make everything seem better and brighter. They make me cry happy tears.

On the other side of the coin, they are also the people that are the most frustrating and challenging. Overall, I wouldn't give them up though.

POPPYOSCAR

It means a mixed bag to me.

The ones that are great I would die for, as for others, well the less said the better.

In my book 'Blood is not thicker than Water'.

I have other people in my life that are not related but are every bit as 'family' to me.

Emmzi

My family are people I have chosen to support, be with, spend time with. They are not my blood relatives. But I do love them.

Mrs_Optimist

Stability, and a feeling that I am never alone, I always have family looking out for me, as I look out for my family.

BitterAndTwisted

They are the people who know me best, recognise and tolerate every single flaw in my character and are fully aware of and forgiving of past misdeeds. And they still want me to be in their lives of their own free will. That's truly blessed

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Nothing.

They're not interested.

Everybody else's that I have experienced have been viciously aggressive in their desire to control one another in the name of FAAAAAAAAMILY.


So balls to the lot of them.

Torry_Quine

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

They are the people who know me best, recognise and tolerate every single flaw in my character and are fully aware of and forgiving of past misdeeds. And they still want me to be in their lives of their own free will. That's truly blessed

A beautiful description that I couldn't have put better.

To me it includes relatives and friends.

Bob_the_Saver

Parents and children OK, sod most of the rest of them.