Family

The book the lifeguard brought up an interesting quote that I kind of wanted to reflect upon. He said, "You cannot choose your family, but you can choose who decide to make your family."

Now, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, but I find it interesting. Because that's true, you can't choose your family. But why wouldn't you want to make your family, your family? Sometimes friends become as close to you as a family member would, but what makes that a family-like relationship? Obviously something in the present family has characteristics that cause an individual to associate a friendship or relationship to that of their family. Right? Because if a person was never introduced to a great family relationship, then how can they make a strong friendship into a "family relationship."

SO

Does this mean that if you have a sucky family, then you have sucky family-like friends?

_________

I'm confusing myself, so I think I'll stop here. But I can't imagine having a relationship stronger or close to equal than that of my family. Yeah, they're annoying sometimes. Yeah, sometimes I wanna deck some of them. But they're my family and I love them TONS. Sometimes I don't think people realize how much family means until they leave them...

Coming to school in California and leaving my family that far back has definitely given me a different viewpoint on family (same thing happened in Switzerland). I think that's why I like going distances... so that I can realize the things that I had but didn't bother to realize HOW MUCH they meant to me because they were always there. When you go somewhere far away and realize that you can't have that thing that was always there. It makes you appreciate the little things I think... Just a little food for thought...