you can stay connected to family even when far apart

it easy to pick up where you left off because they are family

family ties are hard to break and often easy to mend

family is forgiving with never ending patience and love

you have little choice in selecting family members

other than choosing a spouse the rest come as is

there is usually a black sheep in every family

always a weird uncle or aunt at weddings and funerals

families grow with every generation

when you are young the rest of the family seem so old

you bond with brothers sister and cousins

playing in big groups at large family gatherings

as you grow up you start to notice older family members dying off

grandparents pass away to be replaced by your parents

you get married and have kids who join all the other little ones in the family

before you are ready for it your parents pass away

your own children become adults and start to have babies

you become part of the elder group

surrounded by grandchildren who you adore and spoil relentlessly

that crazy young brother still does mad stuff but now takes on the role of the weird old uncle

friendships however are much harder to maintain

it takes a lot of effort to keep friendships going over time

we often lose touch with friends who move away

those parting moments are full of promises that are rarely kept

long term friends grow into honorary family members

your sister from another mother

the brother you never had

you could never imagine life without them

with all the people you meet through work or social activities how do you develop friendships

they don’t exactly apply for the job of your friend with form filling and interviews

somehow you instinctively know when a true friend comes along

investing time with good friends will reap life long dividends