According to the dictionary, family is “any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins”.

The definition seems so simple. We are usually able to easily pick out who our family members are. But the real meaning behind family gets a lot more complicated. Family is such a strong word. Family is the people who you feel secure around, the people who you aren’t afraid to open up to and make yourself vulnerable in front of. You can count on each other and respect one another. Family has a responsibility towards one another. There are so many people you meet in this world, but the family is the one group that will never fail you. When everyone else leaves, family is there for you, even if that just means staying behind to help you clean up after a party. So if there is someone who you categorize as a family member, but you don’t feel comfortable being vulnerable around, or you don’t feel like you can count on. If they ridicule you and make you feel belittled, then they are not family. Continuing to associate with them will only continue to weigh you down. Refuse to associate yourself with people like that. When family becomes more like a bandaid than glue, maybe its time to take a break. Take however long you need and don’t feel bad about it. People always say that the only thing you can control is your actions, so if someone else's actions make you feel uncomfortable, or less than, use your actions and leave them behind. Reevaluate what family really means.