When I hear the word family, I think of two things; the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch  and my baby sister.  I believe, like the majority of people, that there are many ways to define family. You have the one you are born into and the family you choose.

My sister; she’s all I have so far. After so much, we’ve managed  to stay together. We aren’t close. Actually, we barely talk. We’re polar opposites, but we understand and accept that. We love each other because we have to. We fight. All. The. Time. But, we’ve never left. I think, because we have no one else, we can’t just abandon the other. Not because they would be alone, but because we, ourselves, would be.  It terrifies me, knowing  simple existence of this single person, is all we have to separate us from being truly alone in this world. I know she feels the same way. We don’t talk about it, but there’s a mutual understanding.

I have my sister, but I don’t have my “ohana.” Like Stitch, in the beginning of the movie, I’m still looking for mine. I’m still looking for the people who take away that loneliness and provide a certain security. The kind of safety where you understand that no matter what happens, you’ll be okay. Your real family are those who choose you, not because they have to, but because they want to.  I believe when you find the right family, it becomes unbreakable. You can survive anything because you have each other. I haven’t found them, but I know they’re out there.