By JADEYN CONTRERAS
Staff Writer
If you ask one hundred people what their definition of a normal family is chances are you wouldn’t have the same answer every time, that’s because people come from many different backgrounds and have different interpretations for what a family is. Some might respond that a family is a home with a married mother and father and others might respond that a family is a home with divorced parents. Neither one of those answers is wrong because not everyone has the same lifestyle. The dictionary definition of family is a group of one or more parents living together as a unit, this definition clarifies what a family consists of however today there are many definitions that redefine what family means. Unfortunately others don’t have the privilege of being close with their biological relatives so oftentimes close friends fill the void their biological families couldn’t. Family isn’t necessarily the people who share your DNA you can consider close coworkers as your family, pets, and even your church community. There are numerous reasons why people consider close friends as their family rather than the one they are born into, some reasons being mental and physical abuse, divorce, financial issues, domestic violence, etc. On many occasions people think that family problems are their fault due to a type of emotional manipulation called gaslighting which is deflecting blame away from the actual problem making them feel they are the ones at fault. People can even think they are the problem even if no one has told them they are. Family adjustments can be unsettling and uncomfortable for young children which can make them feel insecure or lost. At the end of the day blood relations do not matter because whether you were born into your family or adopted into one or whatever your situation may be your family will always be the people who stick around, who love and support you, and who encourage you to do better everyday.