A family to cherish

Family. This six letter word causes different emotions to arise in each and every person as they read it. Everyone thinks about their own family and their own situation. However, it doesn’t matter what your family situation is. What matters is how you cherish the people you call family.

“Friends come and go, but family is with you forever.” My mom says this to me and my siblings constantly. This statement used to confuse me for two reasons. One reason is I wondered if this means that none of my friends are true friends, but instead they are just people who stick around for a little while and then leave me. The other reason is the question of people who come from broken families. 

The answer to the first question is absolutely not. True, there are some people who float in and out of your life, taking what they can and leaving you behind for good. But that is not always the case. There are some people that are simply seasonal friends. These friends are in your life for only a season before your paths separate, but that does not mean that they are not true friends. 

Having seasonal friends does not mean that you put less into these friendships. It does not mean that these friends are not true friends. It just means that some people are in your life for a short amount of time before their lives take them in a different direction than your life takes you. So cherish these friends.

The answer to the second question is a little bit harder to pin down. There are so many people that are suffering because of their complicated family life. There are some people that say they do not have a family at all. So how can it be true that your family is with you forever? I think there is a deeper meaning to this than there appears to be.

First, I want to address that some people do not have a relationship with their families at all. This can be the cause of pain and heartache, but know that you are not alone. Just because your biological family is not there for you, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a family. Look to your church family for support. They are always there for you. This family does last forever.  

Second, there is no perfect family. No matter how put together a family looks on the outside, there are always different kinds of problems in the privacy of their home. But people focus too much on what is wrong with their family instead of focusing on what is really important. Your family is there for you in each and every situation. They are the ones who have seen you at your worst as well as at your best. They know your mannerisms and they know your habits. You don’t want to throw that away. 

If your family has some problems, do not dismiss these problems and do not dismiss your family because of these problems. Your family might struggle with differences about religion or differences about politics. Don’t let this cause a breach in your relationship with your family. It might seem as if you’d be better off just getting away and ignoring them, but that does not fix the problem - it only causes more heartache.

Going off to school these past two years and being away from my family has made me realize how much they mean to me and how I should have cherished the times at home with them much more than I did. Don’t wait for a time that makes you realize this. Realize it while you are still with them. Hold on to every moment with them, and don’t take it for granted. Because despite the differences and the arguments, your family really is with you for life.