Thicker Than Water

Late this summer, we had relatives come to visit, people that have known me my entire life, who have always been an unwavering source of support and encouragement. Watching them be the exact same people to my own kids is an experience that never fails to fill me with awe.

To many, family is family, and of course you’re there to lean on each other and build one another up. To others, family is who you choose to keep close and know you can rely on.

In a world where sharing genes doesn’t automatically mean you’re kin, I am incredibly thankful for having biological connections to some of the most compassionate and accepting people I’ve ever met.

And I am just as grateful to be able to count as family people an ocean away who owe me no obligation, genetic or otherwise.

In my life, the fact of being consistently acquainted with someone for 40 years is a real unicorn — rare, precious, and to be savored.

Blessings that I sometimes feel I don’t deserve have been showered upon me and my children. It is something I try hard not to question too much, and to forever hold dear.

“Family don’t end with blood.” – Bobby Singer, Supernatural