This Christmas has been one like no other before. Without going into gory details, the difference for me lies completely in the word 'family'. My family, immediate and otherwise, is completeley different this year from the year before, and the year before that and for the 5 years before that. As we grow up, we change and our family dynamic changes. The meaning of family has changed for me. A long time ago, it used to mean mum, dad, sisters, and sometimes an aunt (if we were lucky, two), a couple of cousins and maybe an uncle. We became adults and had families of our own, took on in-laws and with every year that passed the group was an eclectic mix, a random selection of the crew plus a few close friends thrown in for good measure. This year Jax and I shared Christmas with good friends I have to say it's been the most relaxing holiday season ever. We got to stick close to home, have lots of down time, lots of creative time, not much spending, awesome eats (and drinks of course), LOTS of laughter and the making of new memories. Whatever my family might look like right now, regardless of who is happy and who is not, it is what it is, for now. Nothing is permanent, anything is possible, and no matter what we are all just humans on this planet. Family is not reliant on blood. Family is a lifestyle.
In human context, a family (from Latin: familiare) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Extended from the human "family unit" by affinity, economy, culture, tradition, honor, and friendship are concepts of family that are metaphorical, or that grow increasingly inclusive extending to nationhood and humanism.
There are also concepts of family that break with tradition within particular societies, or those that are transplanted via migration to flourish or else cease within their new societies. As a unit of socialisation and a basic institution key to the structure of society, the family is the object of analysis for sociologists of the family. Genealogy is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history. In science, the term "family" has come to be used as a means to classify groups of objects as being closely and exclusively related. In the study of animals it has been found that many species form groups that have similarities to human "family"—often called "packs." {source: wikipedia}
gratitude: for family, food, friends, wine, candlelight, sweet little speakers, carmex lip balm & john coltrane.