This Thanksgiving, most college students will be staring at heaps of food on the table, waiting for each of their family members to say what they’re thankful for and why. They’ll name family, success, religion, etc., but few people remember to list their chosen family.
Your chosen family is your select group of friends that you consider siblings. Maybe you grew up together, maybe you bonded over a terrible boss or maybe you stuck by each other’s sides during a rough spot in your lives. There’s no racist uncle that you need to worry about, no 30-year-old cousin that still lives with his or her parents and no family drama that makes it to the dinner table. In your chosen family, there’s only love and acceptance and little judgment. It’s one of the few safe spaces in the world and one of the few things you can control.
This Thanksgiving, when I’m sitting at the dinner table, staring at the browns, cranberries, and greens on the table, I’ll be thinking about my appreciation for my friends who have been with me for years—people I consider my family.