Due to the changing dynamics of the family, there has been a constant evolution pertaining to the meaning of the word. Time was when a family was simply defined as a unit composed of a mother, father, and child or children. But later on, divorce rates began to sky rocket and we began to see the advent of the single parent family, either a mother or father who has custody of the child. These days, a family can no longer be defined by the terms of the past. The dynamics of family life has changed and so has the concept of the modern family.
For me, a family can be simply defined as the people whom I come home to when I need to feel loved and wanted. It is that group of people from whom I get respect for my individuality and I am accepted simply because of who I am an not because of who they want me to be. In other words, a family can be found anywhere you can find inner peace when you need it the most.
Families these days go beyond the basic parental and blood definition. For example, while I am away at college, I leave my blood family behind. However, I create a bond with my classmates, dorm mates, and other people whom I mingle with on a daily basis. While I am away from home, these people are my family. They are the people who have my back when I need it and my blood relations are not around. They are my extended family whose presence is highly important in my life at this point in time.
The modern day family is any group of people who are joined together because of necessity and the bond that being able to help each other creates. It is that child being raised by total strangers because that child needed their love, care, and affection. It is that person who lost all of his family during 9/11 and found a safe place to call home in the company of people who do not share his blood but wish to protect him with all their might.
Who is to say what the real definition of a family is? Family is a word that means different things to different people, and we accept all these definitions because it simply works for the person concerned. What I am trying to say is that the meaning of family is where one can find it and the meaning will only continue to evolve as the dynamics of our daily lives and relationships change with the times.