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Who's family?


When someone asks you who is in your family, who do you include? Is your family you, your parents, and siblings? Or your aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins? Pets? the hairdresser?

My biological grandparents are amazing. But they are not close to me. One grandfather passed away, his wife moved away, and my other grandparents (love them!) live a few hours away. My siblings and I have been fortunate enough to have experienced individuals in our lives who have treated us as their grandchildren.

When I was in elementary school we got a new neighbor. She and her husband had four children: 3 boys and a girl. Their daughter died a few years prior at the age of 21. The boys were in their 20's, none married at the time. She was a hairdresser out of house and wanted grandchildren so dearly. We became her go-to's for summer shaved ice, evenings of homemade ice cream, and the first house we visited for Halloween. They were a blessing to us. Our grandparents were not around often, yet they stepped in and gratefully filled the void we both had in our hearts. Years later, they are still our neighbors and very dear friends. They now have like 10 beautiful grandchildren- the perfect time as my siblings and I are all growing up.

Our grandparent void has been filled once again in the past few years. An elderly couple at our church became the ones who got invited to graduations and birthday celebrations. She still gives us kisses when ever I see her when I'm home and tells me her crazy stories. They are from New York and have taught us so much.

They couples are not related to me by blood. Yet, I would still call them family. We call the New York couple Grandma G and Grandpa Frank. These names are more terms of endearment than actual descriptions but it just shows how close these people are to me- even though we don't share DNA.

I have two cousins who are adopted. They were both adopted at birth. There are times when I can tell that we aren't related. The Davied personality isn't quite in them, yet they are family and I love them. I don't treat them any differently than I would my true-blood cousins and no one would even notice if I didn't say anything. They are family.

In college, my family now includes my faith family. The Newman people (mainly the regulars) have seen me through the good and bad. They've seen me high on sugar, crying over my feelings, stressed to the core, and way to excited. Sometimes I feel they know me better than my biological family.

This semester my fellow dietetics majors have become my family. We spent countless hours preparing our big project and have gotten to know each other so well. We truly are a dietetic student family.

Family is not defined by a definition or blood. An expensive test does not say who your family is. Look around you. They people you can't live without, the ones who care for you, have your back, and you love- they are your family.

are still our neighbors adn dear friends.

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