What does family mean to you?

Family like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions but yet our roots remain as one.

Over the last few years my family has changed a lot. Everything with Rory being poorly means that we have to be there for each other and support one another as much as we can. We are closer than we have ever been before. A quote from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch says ‘Ohana means family – family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.’ This to me is what family means, you support each other though thick and thin.

This post is in collaboration with Reload Festival in Norwich, who kindly gifted my parents VIP weekend tickets to their festival on Norwich Showground at the beginning of September. My parents had a fantastic time and would recommend going to anyone that loves music from the 70’s through to the 00’s. The weekend meant that they could enjoy themselves both with my siblings for one day and then have one day just them, where they could let their hair down and enjoy themselves. So thank you Reload for the amazing weekend!

I asked fellow bloggers what family means to them this is what they said:

Elizabeth from The Homemakers Journal – Family means joy. It gives you happiness whenever you hear about your family. It fill your heart with gladness whenever you hear stories from your family and because of that, you are able to sustain the bond that you have, despite the distance you have in between.

Sinead from Sinead Latham – Knowing that they love me no matter what. We might not say it very often but we don’t need to. When my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour it made us stop and see how much we took each other for granted. Now it’s my sister, dad and me we make the time count and always look to make memories together.

Christy from Welsh Mum – Family means love, acceptance and caring. It means putting others first and genuinely appreciating them in every way. With family I can be myself 100% and be supported judgement free. I don’t define family by just those who are related by blood but by those who choose to be an integral part of my life.

Alex from Better Together Home – Family means loyalty, love and trust. It’s about so much more than blood or distance. My family are the people choose to be in my life, not those there by coincidence. Family is your middle of the night crew – The ones you call if your car broke down at 4am. It’s the people who can make you laugh when you are at your darkest and lowest point and who support you in the highs and lows of life. They are the ones who take one look at you and pass you a beer, who know what food you hate and what makes you laugh until you (possibly literally) wet yourself.

Cheryl from Mummy of 5 miracles – Family means home – regardless of what’s going on in our lives having family around you is like a big warm and cosy blanket. Friends come and go but family are stuck forever. I’m lucky that I have an awesome family.