The Ideal Family

The word family is one with many different definitions. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it simply as a group of people who are related to each other. It alternatively defines it as a group of individuals living under one roof, in a single household. I do not believe either of these definitions adequately conveys the true meaning of family, however. There is so much more to being a family that is not included in these definitions.

Determining what I define as the ideal family was rather simple, as I honestly feel I already have it. That is not to say that my parents did a better job raising me than someone else’s parents, or that I am closer with my brother than most other people are with their siblings. I feel that family is so much more than just the people you are related to. Instead, I look at family as the people you trust and care for most. Your family should be the people you are comfortable going to with any problem. These are the people that you are at ease with, the ones you want to always take care of. Outside of my own relatives, I consider my closest friends part of my family. These are the people that I spend most of my time with, the ones that know all the little intricacies of my life that make me the way I am. These are the people that have had an active part in shaping me, the people whose advice and encouragement I have taken through every step of my life. Some of the people who have had the most profound effect on my life are not related to me, but they will still always hold a special place in my heart as someone I consider part of my ideal family.

That being said, I still hold certain members of this “family” I have amassed over my lifetime closer than others. These members I am referring to are my most immediate family, the people who raised me and whom I have shared a home with for the majority of my life. These people I hold above all others would be my parents and my brother. They represent the core center of my...