Family Or Friends?

If there’s one universal rule, it’s that nothing is perfect. Every person, place, or thing has some great qualities and some big drawbacks. So it’s no surprise when it comes to the importance of family vs. friends that, as clichéd as it sounds, there are good and bad elements in both groups. (Or, depending on your experience, some very good or very bad elements.)

With the holiday season approaching, it’s almost inevitable that images about happy multi-generational families sitting around a table come to mind.  No family on earth is ever Norman Rockwell perfect, but as we get older the memories of those gatherings often become more poignant.

And that’s not just our mind playing tricks on us. The hard reality is that there may not be that many people around the table anymore. Older relatives die, our kids move away, or we do, and suddenly holidays can become an occasion to get through (or even ignore) rather than a day to enjoy. And if you’ve moved elsewhere to retire, even a non-holiday visit back to your old town can be a source of overwhelmingly bittersweet memories. But family can provide a comforting refuge for us. A long, shared history and even a house that has been a home for decades can give us a strong sense of stability.

My Opinion:

Friends. Real friends, the ones that support you no matter what and you support them.
Everyone always says "family, because you're related" or whatever, but I'd rather have someone who WANTS to be a part of me, not just someone genetically forced to be. Remember, family can be your friends, too!