Who do you consider your true family, no matter if they are actual family? What is it about these people that you love so much?

Through most of the story, Emily's family is made up of her brother and Willie. For Larkin, it is her grandmother and cousins. Both women have other family members, but they feel emotionally disconnected from them. Who do you consider your true family, no matter if they are actual family? What is it about these people that you love so much?

I can relate to these characters in this way; I'm not very close with particular family members, mostly because neither one of us made much of an effort to stay in contact. While this is unfortunate and I do blame myself to some extent, I also feel that the people I am close with are the ones who I instinctively gravitate to more.

I consider my true family to be the people I see everyday and who live with me, whether we're related or not, because we have a level of intimacy that can't be duplicated anywhere else.

My true family is actually several families that, at times, have supported and loved me. My "current family" if my church family. What makes us close is primarily our relationship to God that we share, but because we see each other 2 times a week, we have regular interactions and support for each other that regular family members usually have. We share experiences and hobbies, books, knitting and walking. I love my real family very much, but we all live so far apart that it is hard to share the kinds of things that would keep us closer together..

Maybe I pretty traditional since my true family is by blood ties. You know, mother, father, sisters, etc. It's sort of a love-tolerate relationship with some of them, but if I was truly in need of anything all of them would help out whatever way possible.

I am so grateful for all the people in my life that I consider family. We are not related by blood, but we are family. We give each other support when needed, enjoy time together and understand each other.

True family are the ones who are there for you, no matter what. It is often our biological family, but not always. When my husband was stationed overseas for three years our friends and neighbors became our family. We supported each other, spent holidays together, etc. Our Marines were deployed and away from home A LOT, so knowing we could rely on these wonderful friends made all the difference.

For me my true family is my blood family. But, I'm also blessed with an "extended" family. 30 years ago, my father hired a man fresh out of college and newly married. He and his wife moved here and we became very close with them through the years and as their family grew. They together have four children that I've watched grow from birth. They have all become part of our family and we are together through holidays, birthdays, surgeries, health issues, weddings, etc. I am a truly blessed girl.

I am an only child, so I include my long term friends as family for sure!! I am 54 and have been friends with several of them since 3rd grade. That qualifies as family.

I consider many of my friends who have shared the highs and lows of my life to be my family. I was blessed to work with several men and women in my teaching career who definitely became my work family. I would and have been there for them as much as I would for my blood family.

elise, a fellow only child! I think long-term friends really make a difference in our lives as only children. That's so inspiring that you've had such lasting friendships! It seems like everyone here can agree that true family are the ones who are with you through thick and thin.

I consider my true family to be a combination of some family members and some good friends. A true family member is someone you can count on in an emergency and that you want to celebrate your successes with. I also want to do the same with/for them. I think people earn their true family spot - it's not just bloodline.

I have some close family members related by blood or marriage but I have more that I met through common interests and who have been there for me through the good and bad times.

My family has extended to those that have touched my heart in one way or another. Some of them are friends of my children who grew up sitting at our dinner table and others are friends that I have considered to be my brothers or sisters.

I love my blood family very much, but also have 3 friends I know I could call on and they would be there for me in a heartbeat. It was my best friend I called first when my daughter died and she dropped everything to come to my side and helped me through it. My blood family was there, too, but I counted on my freinds because they seemed to know more what I needed at the time and gave freely of themselves. Blood or not, those we share a connection with are important to our existence and should be cherished.

I believe that the term 'family' changes as you move through life. You start with blood relation and if you are lucky those people remain with you all through life. But as you go on your life journey people come and go out of your life. As you become close to people they can be closer than a blood relative and you can deem them family for whatever time they remain in your life circle.

I agree with taking.mytime in that family changes throughout life. I have great friends who are like siblings to me. I am estranged from some of my siblings and choose to remain so. I consider my family those blood relatives and friends with whom I can be myself and be accepted for that; can pick up the conversation as if we just saw each other yesterday, not months or years ago; those for whom I will drop everything to come to their aid; and they will do the same for me. My true family members are ready to prop me up, cheer me on, and as needed take me to task. Surprisingly or not, this group includes my ex-husband and a few men I dated. Whether related by blood or friendship, they are my family.