What does family mean to you? This question has been swirling through my mind as I seem to find difficulty in answering it. I was adopted at a young age and grew up with the knowledge that my biological parents, for whatever reasons existing, did not want me. This can be difficult for many children as they grow up and may commonly cause separation anxiety along with abandonment and identity issues. Luckily, I was adopted by parents who have given me such a wonderful life filled with love, support, and happiness. But with this in mind, what truly is the meaning of family? Love, support and happiness? I wanted to dig further into what others have to say about this.
Family & Devestation?
As we all know, the famous and legendary Kobe Bryant passed away with his daughter Gigi. This devastated the entire world and his wife, Vanessa, posted various statements about her personal loss. At the memorial for Kobe, Vanessa made extremely touching assertions, one of which left me chuckling, and in tears, as Usatoday.com documented her statement “He never left the toilet seat up. He always told the girls how beautiful and smart they are. He taught them how to be brave and how to keep pushing forward when things get tough”. This had me thinking about how Vanessa views her life, and I can’t help but wonder if she feels as though her definition of family is now skewed. For some of my friends, they feel the meaning of family is something made up, that they do not actually get to grasp. They come from broken homes, abusive situations, or from parents who have separated and remarried. A close friend of mine says that family is “something close to you, that warms your heart and makes you feel wanted, accepted, and in many ways needed. It is a home, the place you can turn to when things start to crumble. I wish I had that”.
Dad jokes, laughs, & love.
One thing I was able to find we had common ground over is the experience of family gatherings. You have the crazy relative, a lot of arguments or disagreements, but also the laughs, light-hearted fun, and family jokes. My dad loves to be able to spark up a conversation with making someone chuckle, he gives your classic dad jokes and will proceed to laugh at it himself, even if no one else finds it as hysterical. I think despite what any family may face, coming up with a way to diffuse a situation with smiles or laughs, creates a new dynamic that releases unwanted tensions. So, what does family mean to me? Well, I guess it means that even if you are not blood-related, even if you have brokenness and discouragements, abuse, or isolation, that family is the ones around you who are there for you through all of it. The ones who give you that extra giggle, who share the tears, and who have your back, despite any given situations.
Stay Safe, and Stay Healthy.
A Happy You, Is A Healthy You.
