Family can mean many things to many different people. To some, it’s an unbreakable bond. To others it’s an annoying sidekick who can’t keep their mouth shut. “Holy bat-balls Batman, did you screw up again?”
Sometimes however, it’s a combination of the two. One of those, ‘hate that I love you’ relationships. But then there is also another kind of family. I like to call it, a Patchwork Family. It’s the ones you have chosen to call family, because it’s not always about blood.
They could be your friends who cheer you on even when the odds are against you, or it may be the neighbor next door who chooses to overlook your dog crapping in their yard. You could find them in your coworkers who encourage you to fight for that promotion, or the mentor that taught you everything you know. Then again, it could be you have a normal and dependable blood family. If you do, congratulations, you have no need to look elsewhere; unless you want to expand that support system
I fall into the last category. Congratulations to me. My blood family is great. They are supportive, encouraging, and on occasion annoying. I wouldn’t have it any other way. However my family is much larger than blood. My friends are my family as well.
This is what I write about. No matter what Genre of fiction I’m working on, weather it’s a short story or a mini-series, it’s this patchwork family at the heart of every story.
I’m curious to know, who, does your family comprise of?
Writing Rhythm 
June 8, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Kassie- I really enjoyed this post. I too have an amazing family but also a small group of very close friends that I consider family. I have found as I approach my 50th year that making friends as an adult is much more difficult than when I was young, so I hang on tightly to the ones that I love.
LikeLiked by 2 people
June 8, 2016 at 6:43 pm
Thank you. I think as we get older making those close friendships is far harder than it was when we were young. We have change and our life experiences can make us more cautious to trust others. I also have a small group of very close friends that I cling tight to. It’s important that we do that I think. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 8, 2016 at 5:54 pm
That picture made me think this was going to be some scary horror story about patchwork pelt quilting, haha.
On a more serious note, I would have to say that my family is my blood family. In the end, they’ve been through everything I’ve been through, and it’s really only expanded by one — my partner. Of course, I’m always been a bit socially withdrawn, and coming from a big family, it meant there wasn’t much of a need for super close friends.
LikeLiked by 2 people
June 8, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Lol that’s funny about the picture. I guess it does look a tad creepy. I guess it shows my dark side.
I would say I’m also more reserved at making friends. I find it hard to let people in. But I do have a few very close friends that I can be me with. They are worth hanging on to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 9, 2016 at 5:34 am
I have a large extended blood family, most of whom I haven’t seen or spoken to in years. I live with chronic illness and most of them don’t understand it. In their minds, no one else in the family has ever had an issue like that so it can’t be real. Translation: I’m crazy. It is my friends, both online and in the physical world, who accept me and love me the way I am. If I can’t go to the movies because my pain level is so high that I want to curl in a ball and cry like a baby … they get it. Invisible illness is a royal pain, but the love of my friends have made it bearable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 9, 2016 at 3:34 pm
I understand chronic illness, I have struggles too, my energy is up and down and sometimes I am so tired even breathing feels too hard. I’m sorry your family doesn’t understand, that can be so frustrating, I know. Most of my family is very supportive and knows when I need to rest, but there are a few that just think I’m lazy or that I just need to eat better or exercise more. That really is upsetting because when you feel that bad you would do anything to feel better, so of course I’ve tried all that before.
At least you have found a family that does get you. Hang tight to them. Know that I understand it too. I get it.
LikeLiked by 1 person