I chose my family carefully.
Not because of some ascribed bloodline that I had no say in.
I chose them, as they chose me, because we care about each other.
Nothing so disingenuous as love.
We have seen ourselves and each other.
At our best.
Our worst.
We still care.
We still make time.
There is no legality in these unions.
Just bonds of fidelity, trust, and compassion.
Much stronger than heritage.
We don’t imprison each other to a life of conformity or duty.
We are just there if we are needed.
We don’t lie.
We don’t cheat
We don’t judge.
We accept each other for who we are.
All our foibles, mistakes and misplaced steps are forgiven, if not forgotten.
We laugh, we cry, we celebrate the milestones in our lives.
We argue, of course we do, we are not saints.
Others come and go.
Nothing changes between us.
This family has never let me down.
I will never let them down.
Some die.
Some move on.
We all feel the loss keenly. It strengthens and binds us.
Choose your own family carefully.
It is too important to be left to genetics.

PJ.
© 2023