Family

fam·i·ly

[ˈfam(ə)lē]

NOUN

families (plural noun)

1. a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.

   • a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage:
     "friends and family can provide support"
     synonyms: relatives · relations · kin · next of kin · kinsfolk · kindred ·

     [more]
2. all the descendants of a common ancestor:

   "the house has been owned by the same family for 300 years"

I know that the definition above is what is normally know for "family".

I've also heard the saying "Blood is thicker than water".

I disagree.

Most (not all) of my blood relatives are not my family.

They don't care a lick about me and over the years, I have evolved into not caring about them.

I may see them at funerals, but that is about it.

Don't get me wrong - I do family trees and I can tell you all of my blood relations for generations and generations.  But that is genealogy, not my family.

I have about a dozen blood relatives (including distant cousins) who are my family.

Who would do anything for me and I would do anything for them.

Then, I have my other family.  I have people who were brought into my life and we chose to be connected, to be family, to be there for each other.  Some I call "family" and some I call "friends", but I guarantee if I called them or they called me - we would be there.

Everyone else can keep that definition above, if they want.

I don't.

My definition (yes, it needs work - but is closer to my reality than that one above):

fam·i·ly

[ˈfam(ə)lē]

NOUN

families (plural noun)

1. a group who loves, cares, supports and assists each other throughout their lives
2. a group of people can be related to one another by blood, adoption, marriage or simply by circumstance 
• Titles of parent, children, siblings, cousins, etc. may be used

Namaste.