What is a Family?

In my lifetime, I have learned several things. One is that "family" does not always fit the standard definition. As an only child, I am accustomed to my small family, which now consists of my mother, my husband, my child, one elderly uncle in Texas, and me. Do I have other family members? You bet I do. We have the most wonderful friends in the world. These are people who always return our friendship and anything we do for them to the power of 10. What is unique about our friendship? Our friends speak little English! They are from Mexico and are managers of a ranch close to our home. Fortunately, I speak Spanish.

We have become such good friends that we now call them our familia - our family. Their children and my child are extremely close. We travel together, ride horses together, eat dinner together, shop together, help each other build fences and buildings, share our belongings, etc. I could not have asked for better family members!

This relationship shows several things:

1. Sometimes, strangers make better family than family itself. Our bloodline is not the same, but I think people need to realize that bloodlines aren't always that important.

2. People of completely different backgrounds, cultures, and races can not only live side by side in peace, but they can find common ground and build strong ties between them.

3. Sharing a common language or heritage does not make someone more of a brother to those people who share the same language or heritage. We are all human, and we have an equal amount in common regardless of language or heritage.