One of my favorite movies as a child was Lilo and Stitch. I never realized why though. I mean as a child, I guess the cute aliens and the funny incidents grabbed my attention but there was vital underlying message, which was “Ohana”, meaning “family”. Lilo’s picture of her family was the most important thing to her, however since her parents passed away, she was forced to chose her own family, which was her sister, her sister’s boyfriend and her pet alien, Stitch. Although, only one was a blood relative, the others were just as connected to her. She taught Stitch the meaning of “Ohana” through her love.
I would have never guessed how similar my life would be to Lilo’s. Before you jump to conclusions, my parents are okay. However, my family is still broken but in a slightly different way. It is not their physical presence which is missing, its the connection. I have never been close to my parents. I am not the type to call them every night or even ask for their advice in any situations. So, I made my own family, my friends.
This may seem absurd to think that some high school friends could replace motherly love or a father’s advice. But these were not the characteristics I was looking for when I chose my “Ohana.” My friends have taught me endless lessons and proved the true meanings of loyalty, generosity and acceptance. These are virtues I carry through my life and actions.
I was always told “friends will come and go, but family is forever”. I still believe that, but there is still something about people who have the choice to leave whenever they want, yet they still stay. That to me proves true love, rather than those family members who stay because they are connected by blood. The dedication of my friends who made strong connections with me through experiences and struggles, draws me even closer to them. They taught me the real meaning of family.
Family to me is not who is in you or lives with you, it’s the people you run to when there is a problem or a tough decision. I may not call my relatives every day, but I do call my friends. They are the like siblings I never had (I’m an only child); caring for me whether it’s getting me medicine when I don’t have transportation, helping me with homework, or even just distracting me from issues with continuous laughter and love. They teach me how to be kind to others by mimicking their actions. In my experience, age does not guarantee wisdom. Even though, my friends are close to my own age they provide me with knowledge and wise ways to overcome difficult tasks. They push me to be the best person I can be, and support me through success and failures. Friendship is one rectitude which I am grateful for that these people instilled in me.
My friends are my support system, my mentors, and most importantly my family.
This post reminded me of being little and watching Lilo and Stitch! I really agree with you when you say, “But there is still something about people who have the choice to leave whenever they want, yet they still stay”. I love my family, but the relationship I have with them is much different than the relationships I have with my friends. I love knowing that my family will always be in my life, but friendships I’ve had for a long time are so special to me because we’ve made a choice to keep being friends. I also like who you mention all the things you’ve learned from your friends…it reminds me of that quote “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. I know that I’ve learned a lot from my friends, and it’s great to see that it’s a universal experience.
Your post reminded me a lot of my relationship with my best friends. While I am really close with my parents and sisters, it is still my friends who I run to first when I need advice or help with anything (no matter how big or small). It actually has become a joke with my family to call my best friend my sister because she spends so much time at my house, and everyone knows that we are inseparable. Also, I really liked how you used a Disney movie that most people can relate to watching when growing up, even if they didn’t notice the same things when they first watched it.
I definitely agree with you that someone’s family is not just their blood relatives. Personally, I don’t get along with my father and we don’t really have a good connection with one another. People always say “blood is thicker than water,” which is not true and also not the entire quote. The full quote is “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” Totally different meaning. Though I am friends with my brother, I can really relate to what you are saying here about friends being a better support system and family than actual family members are sometimes.