On The Two Camps

Most often when I use the word "family", I use it in a very broad sense.

This Thanksgiving will be spent with family. I have no blood relationship with the persons with which I will be spending Thanksgiving. To me, family has to do with SO MUCH more than blood.

In my lifetime there have been two camps of important people. The first camp does have to do with my birth and heritage. From them I got my curly hair, pale skin, and silly streak. The second camp of people is very large. That camp is full of the people that have impacted my life positively.

The family I plan to dine with on Thursday is from my second camp. We aren't related. I didn't spend my childhood with them. I did, however, grow up with them. They took on the responsibility of shepherding me through some tough years of my life. They were there for me when my first camp couldn't be. They helped shape the "me" I am today.

I have no statistical data, but I feel assured in saying that if we could draft our own personal "broad definition families", each person would pull together a pretty unique looking group. I think everyone has a second camp.

This Thanksgiving I'm super grateful for my super large second camp. I claim so many people in my "broad definition family"! We may not share bloodlines, but we've done life together. We share a bond. And....we're cute!