You are born with relatives, but you can atleast choose your friends

The first time I read this quote, I was struck by its essence. We are the sum of the five closest people we surround ourselves with. And we get to choose them. How fortunate are we!

But quickly following on the heels of that thought, came another one. Isn’t family also special? And precisely for the reason the quote stated – we are born into it.

We did not choose our father, mother, brother or sister. But we still love them. We may disagree on fundamental core beliefs, have daily fights and even go without talking for years. But underneath all of it, the familial bond remains.

To me, family embodies the true meaning of unconditional love. We form friends through a process of natural social selection. But we didn’t decide on our parents or siblings and yet we love them. And that is the wonder and beauty of family.