1. Family is Always There for You

You know, no matter what happens, in most cases, family is always there for you. Despite your differences, they are the ones that will not abandon you when the chips are down. They are surely the people who know how to make you feel better.  This is one of the best reasons to stay close to your family. They have your back and you should have theirs. There are times in all of our lives when we need our family.

2. They Are Family

Let’s just be real, here. No one will love you like your family does. That is why they are family. Friends usually only love you conditionally, at least after putting up with you for a while. With family, it is different.

3. Built in Friendships

Family means that you have built in friendships. I think this is especially true if you have siblings. I know that my sister and I have very different lives we are each busy in but when we do see each other, we can pick up chatting like we have never been apart. We get each other. I understand her and usually know her feelings without her saying a word about them.

4. It is a Needed Connection

You know, there is a connection you just cannot get with anyone but your family. And if you don’t have a close relationship with your family, you miss that. You cannot establish that kind of connection with your friends or co-workers. It is unique to family relationships and cannot be replicated. Friends are so important in our lives but they can’t ever take the place of family.

5. They Are a Support System

Family is a built-in support system in times of trouble. Troubling times comes to all of us in one way or another in our lifetimes. It may be financial hardship, illness, divorce or any number of other things. Our family can be there for us and help us through those troubling times. Never discount that family does this for you.

6. Gratitude

One important reason to stay close to your family is gratitude. Be grateful for your family and for all that they have done for you. Even if you didn’t have the perfect childhood, try to look at the fact that your parents did raise you. And who knows? Maybe they were doing the best they could with what they had. It is important to remember that our parents are just people, just like we are, with flawed histories and scars.

7. Shared History

You have a shared history with your family that you don’t have with anyone else on Earth. Nobody else knows what all the hidden jokes mean. They remember all the funny little stories that you do. They remember when bad things happened in your family to bond you together. That shared history is an important reason to stay close to your family.

Family is important and irreplaceable. What do you do to stay close to your family? I would love to hear from you.