Family is...

One thing I looked forward to in college was coming home for a weekend and spending time with my family. I counted down the days in my planner with great anticipation and couldn't wait to pull into the driveway and be HOME. When I returned to college to finish off another week, I realized something. Not many college students shared my positive feelings when they talked about home. Some students only spoke of their hatred for home or how they wished their family would leave them alone. Others hardly ever went home, finding every excuse to be busy or justify avoidance, except for forced holiday breaks. Some described the constant fighting that took place in their family or proclaimed their disgust for their sibling or parent or both.
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I was shocked to be honest. I didn't know how to relate. I knew that not all families loved each other like mine, but I didn't realize the depth of those harsh feelings. I cannot imagine this tragedy, but to many, this is the norm. It made for some interesting conversations, mostly me listening to others share about their home life.
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And now at 23, being single and working nights as a nurse, family means even more to me. Whether it be my parents and siblings, my four roommates, the cashier at Meijer's on Tuesday nights, all of the adopted grandparents at my home church, or my new family at work. They are all I have.
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Yesterday afternoon my family and I had lunch with some out of town relatives. We enjoyed a nice meal, updated each other on the happenings of life, and laughed...a lot. My heart was overjoyed by these interactions and I could not stop smiling. 
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I have three other siblings (4 if I count my sister's fiance!). We are close and get along so well. We enjoyed a competitive game of Boggle and watched the new movie "Tangled." Having family is one blessing. Being close to them and sharing life together is on a whole other level. I cannot thank God enough for placing each one of them in my life. They teach me how to love. They fill my heart with joy. They remind me that there is more to life than the every day routine. 
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Our time together was priceless. 
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At the same time, I have been overwhelmed with news of families struggling financially, losing loved ones, combating health related issues, divorce, betrayal, angry words, and the like. My heart breaks as I read their stories and it makes me appreciate family time that much more. 
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This world is broken. Bad things happen. There is always going to be "something" going on. How do you survive? How do you find hope again? What do you do if you come from a broken family? Or lost your family? Or maybe they have expressed how they have no desire to be a part of your life.
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I'm no expert and as I said earlier, I don't know what that's like. I can only imagine. But I do know that having a 'family' is one of the most rewarding experiences on earth. Whether that's a group you meet with for coffee on Tuesdays, a friend in the hospital you visit twice a week, or Halo Thursday night, I think they are essential. 
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We only get one life. One time to grab our family and tell them that we love them. One chance to be family to someone who has no one else. 
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And I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste this opportunity. I made the decision to sponsor a 7-year-old girl from Haiti. I am partnering with World Vision to make a difference and my heart could not be more full of joy. 
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Her name is Taylove and she is my newest Lil Sis. She is my family.