Family. Do you have to love them?

There are many different types of family.

There are the people that you have known and learned to love that have been with you your whole life. These people are family. There are the people that know things about you that the people who have been with you your whole life don't even know. These people are family. There are those that have given a greater sacrifice to be with you than you would have given them in the same circumstance. These people are family. There are even people that will do unquestionably loyal things for you and then turn around and sell you out without realizing what they are doing. These people are family too.

I have been privileged enough to experience everyone of these families. There have been many instances in my life that have permitted me to grab a glimpse of each different kind mentioned and it has been something that I have come to love. The different kinds of family that we each come in contact with can have a very profound and enjoyable impact in our lives if we will learn to accept the circumstances and be open to the possibilities that each one brings.
There is never enough time to figure out which family will be the right one. As a matter of fact, we are never even given the opportunity to choose the family that we think is right for us. We are expected to grow with the family we are given and never do anything to jeopordize that family bond.

This feeling is almost inate.

Some people would disagree. They would say that not accepting the people who raised you is a step in the right direction. They would say that these people have never had your best interest in mind and that they would eventually hold you back from what you were meant for.
To these people let me say that you are very misinformed. No person on the planet could have knowledge that they were going to be having a child themself and not have some deep respect for what they were responsible for even if only for a minute. I belive this without a doubt even though I do not have any children. I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted by two families and both have shown me, through opposite models, that the love of a parent is always present even if it is unannounced.

I am so glad to be able to write to you and would appreciate any feed back at all.
Thank you for your time.
Mark