The word family conjures up a range of emotions and thoughts, usually linked to our family of origin. Some of us have had especially loving experiences in families, while others have had horrific experiences, and most of us have had a mixed bag of love and good intentions, along with some degree of dysfunction.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary definition of family is quite benign:
1 : a social group made up of parents and their children. 2 : a group of people who come from the same ancestor. 3 : a group of people living together : household.
To most of us, the word family is not benign at all, but perhaps what this dictionary definition gives us is an opportunity to define for ourselves what family is, beyond the facts of having some common DNA or a shared residence at some point.
What’s missing from the dictionary definition is…
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