I blurred myself intentionally in this photo because the person in it with me is the focus of this post. She is my brother’s wife so there is no relation by blood; however she is more than a sister to me, she is more than a friend, and more than even a mother to me. She is all of those things combined. When I’ve been down and out in my life (quite often) she was always there to pick me up. It’s not that my mom or friends weren’t there, but she is the one that I listened to for whatever reason. I guess she always knew just what to say to me. I met her when I was 13 years old and she was dating my brother. The older I got, the more I came to depend on her. I think it was because she was not judgemental of my stupid decisions. She would seem to think about what I was telling her then give me advice. Whatever magic she was using, worked on me. She became so much more to me than just a sister-in-law. She became “my person” for life. She’s not my blood relative, she’s my LIFE relative. We don’t have to be related to someone physically to have that bond with them. Those kinds of bonds go beyond blood. In fact, I think there are lots of families who don’t like each other! Don’t be so short sighted that you deny yourself a bond like I have had just because you’re adopted. Open your heart and your mind and you’ll find more than you were looking for!