I have been thinking a lot about the word "Family" lately. What it looks like and what it is. Who is makes up my family.

Biologically, I have my parents and two sisters plus extended family. Biological family - you share the same DNA and basic genetic makeup. You are close because you are put together through life circumstances but the main closeness within a biological family seems to stem from being related. My family loves me. I know this. I love them. They know this, also.

But I really feel that family is more than just the biological. My family extends far beyond the shared DNA or last name... and a lot of my reasoning comes from being away from my parent's home for almost seven years now. I have lived across the country in a dorm and later in an apartment with roommates in both Texas and Utah. I learned that family is a much deeper tie than merely friendship, no matter how close the friendship may be. And the people that I do call family - are. And in my heart and mind, there has been no difference between them and the ones who share my blood.