Every year on Christmas day, I look around the dinner table at the people I am surrounded with. The table is always bustling with food being passed around, jokes being told and a sense of love that fills the air. We exchange gifts, play games and just enjoy being in each other’s presence.
While this may seem normal, my Christmas, and every other holiday for that matter, is less typical than one may imagine. Instead of spending the day with extended family, I spend my holidays with close friends.
These friends know more about me and see me way more often than my extended family. No hate to my relatives, because I love them, but it’s just the way life panned out. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I consider these friends to be my family.
Platonic relationships are often overlooked. But really, they can be just as valuable as a biological relationship.
These relationships are more than just friendship, they are a foundation to one’s emotional well-being.
During times of hardship, it is important to be around people who can bring comfort. Sometimes family isn’t always able to be there. Whether they are far away distantly, emotionally unavailable or any other reason, friends are able to come in and fill that gap.
Having that human connection is extremely important. According to a research study by University of California, Berkeley, people who lack social connections are more prone to anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles.
Just being around people that care will help a person’s well-being tremendously. Being able to connect with those around is incredibly important to one’s mental health.
In platonic relationships, people are able to express themselves without fear of judgement. They can find a safe place to fully be themselves without feeling obligated to act a certain way.
Friends are the people we choose to be around. They see us for who we truly are and continue to remain close to us.
We don’t get a choice on who we are related to. Some people are left with the short end of the stick, causing a loss of connection and belonging. But friends can help restore those feelings and make new memories.
Families are often placed on a high pedestal, with their importance expressed through holidays, milestones and difficult moments. But friends deserve the same recognition. Friends are able to become family. It doesn’t always have to be by blood.
So this Christmas, I will do the same thing I have for the past 10 years. I will look at the people that my family met when I was in elementary school and, at the time, decided to spend the rest of our lives with, remembering how those people, though not biologically related to me, have been there for me through thick and thin and have always supported me.
Because love is more than if you share the same last name, it’s about what deeply matters. Friends may not share your DNA, but they do share your heart. And that’s what family is all about.
