Every year, on the third Monday of February, Canada celebrates Family Day in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Usually, this day passes me by unnoticed and unobserved (except when I go to pick up wine and discover the liquor store is closed). I mean, isn’t everyday family day? Or rather, shouldn’t it be?
This year is different though. I’m currently sitting in my onesie in my living room. My hubby is at the gym for his morning workout, as usual. My daughter’s at her dad’s for her bi-weekly visit, as usual. And …
My big brother, here from LA, is asleep downstairs. My Mom, here from London, is upstairs in the shower. My Dad has just stepped out for his daily newspaper run. This evening, some of my extended family – four humans and their four-legged friend – will be joining us for dinner. Oh, and I just got off a call with one of my bestest-ever bestie friends. So yes, I’m feeling it. I’m feeling happy family day.
What is family?
To my surprise, the Oxford dictionary still defines family as “a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit.” (That’s just one of several definitions they offer. Still, it surprised me.) But that’s not what family means to me. Family is so much bigger than that. It’s so much more than relationships founded on blood, marital bonds, and proximity.
Family is the community of people who, near and far, stand by you when you need them, and whom you stand up for when they need you. So if on Family Day you find yourself missing your closest kin, think broader. Consider all those you love, and all those who love you, for they are the true essence of family.
This Family Day, give thanks to those who love and support you.
“Family is a life jacket in the stormy sea of life.” J.K. Rowling
“Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.” Betsy Farrell
“Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family.” Joseph Brodsky
And one of my faves (say it like a rapper)…
“Family always gonna be there. The material things, they come and go.” Romeo Miller
Today and every day, consider how you can support your nearest and dearest.
Even if they live far away. Even if you haven’t spoken a while. Remember …
“Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.” Betsy Farrell
“The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem.” Walt Disney
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” David Ogden Stiers
Reach out and touch someone you care about.
“There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on.” Leo Christopher
“Stick to the basics, hold on to your family and friends – they will never go out of fashion.” Niki Taylor
Above all, remember this on Family Day:
“Family (in whatever form it takes) is not an important thing. It is everything.” Michael J. Fox
To my husband, daughter, parents, brothers, cousins, nephews, niece, aunts, dear friends, fellow yogis, those who support me by supporting my everyday endeavours, including this blog – and my dog – I love you.
Happy Family Day!
Viv for today xo
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People say you can’t choose your family, I disagree. Family is more than genetics, so much more! Happy Family Day! And thanks for the great quotes :)
And to you, Cathy!
What a lovely sentiment. I wish everywhere had a family day. Although I guess what we should remember is to make as many family days as we can throughout the year.