Friends Who Are Like Family Have These 7 Things in Common

As they say, “There are friends, there’s family, and there are friends who are like family.” Let’s celebrate all of those who fall into that last category! Below are 7 things about the people we choose as family that we all know are true.

Things We Know Are True of Friends Who Are Like Family

I talk a lot about the importance of family here. Sisters and brothers, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts & uncles, and even cousins. To me, family is literally everything, and I cherish every moment that I have with mine. I also know that it’s a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy.

See, each time I post about these important people in our lives that are bonded to us through DNA, I get at least one message from someone who feels left out. People who lost their parents, who grew up an only child of an only child, who never got the chance to meet their grandma or grandpa.

I never want to make anyone feel sad or left out.  So today, I want to focus not on the people we’re bonded to by blood, but on those that we choose to be our family. They are just as important as the people that we share DNA with, after all.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the things we know are true of the friends who are like family. As always, I’ve shared some of my favorite quotes. If you’re looking for more, though, check out these 39 Inspiring Friendship Quotes to Share with Your BFF!

1. Friends that are like family always stand by our sides

When I was looking at “friends who are like family” quotes, I came across one from Carol Johnson that kind of irked me. It said, “Friends will be friends but they soon go away, family is family and always they will stay.” I understand the intent behind the quote, but honestly, I have just as many friends who are always there for me as I do family members.

To me, that’s how you know that your friend has truly become a part of your family. No matter what happens they are there for you, and vice-versa. You can call them any time of the day or night with an emergency, and they’ll rush to your side. They’re the people you can count on, and who can always count on you.

2. You don’t have to talk every day to stay connected

One of the truest signs of a friend who is like family is that no amount of time or distance can break your bond. I have a group of friends from far away that I really haven’t spoken to in years. We interact on Facebook, like each other’s posts, comment in the same groups, and all. But as far as an actual one-on-one conversation goes, well, life just gets in the way.

That’s okay, though! When one of us needs the others, we rally without missing a beat. We know that no matter how long we go without talking, we all still have each other’s backs. If that doesn’t scream “family,” I don’t know what does!

3. You’re loyal to each other

To paraphrase the quote below, blood may make you related, but loyalty is what makes you family.   Being loyal literally means having a strong feeling of support or allegiance to a person. I think, sadly, we all have at least one blood relative who doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word.

The people that we choose as family, though, fit the definition of loyalty to a T. They support us, and we them. When lines are drawn in the sand for whatever reason, they’re always standing on our side.

4. You can tell each other the truth, even when it hurts

If someone tells you a hard truth that you don’t want to hear and you don’t get so mad at them that you never want to speak to them again, then they’re definitely family, blood or not.

In fact, I think we’re often more willing to listen to the friends we consider family than we are to our DNA family. When our parents or siblings say something upsetting, we often either tune them out or get defensive. But when a friend says it, we instinctively believe that they have our best interests at heart.

5. You sometimes fight but never hold grudges

We sometimes fight like siblings with our best friends. You can’t be that close to someone and never find yourself in a situation where you just don’t see eye-to-eye. It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll agree 100% of the time.

But just like we forgive our siblings after a big argument, we also forgive the people that are like siblings to us, and we DON’T hold grudges. Actually, I think most of us hold more grudges against the people that DNA gives us than the people that we choose to be our family.

6. You truly love each other’s kids (even if you’re not really a “kid person”)

I asked a few people from my mom group to share some of the things they know to be true of friends who are like family. One of them replied, “If I love their kids and actually want to be around them, then they’re definitely family to me.”

She went on to say that she doesn’t dislike children or anything, just that she’s not really a “kid person” in general. “My bestie’s kids, though, are a totally different story. I can spend hours with them and love every second of it. I’d jump in front of a moving train for those kids!”

Basically, when your friend is like family, you love their kids like nieces and nephews…even if you don’t usually like being around other people’s kids. 😀

7. You can be totally real around each other

Another mom in my group said, “I know that a friend has become part of my family when I can eat chicken wings around her without being embarrassed.” I laughed and asked her to clarify because that doesn’t sound like a big deal to me. She said, “I look like a deranged toddler when I eat them, covered in hot sauce from chin to forehead! I don’t know how anyone can eat those things in public.”

She went on to say that the point is, that you can be 100% yourself – even if that involves head-to-toe hot sauce-around friends who are like family. “For someone as self-conscious as me, that’s the truest truth there is,” she said.

Our chosen family is just as important as our DNA family

I’ll finish this off with one last quote that I really love (not sure who said it, but I saw it here). “Family isn’t always about the people in your life who are blood relations. It’s about the people in your life who want you to be in theirs. It’s about the people who accept you for who you are, support you in the things you choose to do and no matter what, are there for you. It’s the people in your life who love you, respect you, and who you can depend on. Now that’s family!”

The bottom line, they say that you can’t choose your family but I disagree. Sure, we can’t choose who we share DNA with, but that doesn’t mean squat when it comes to choosing family. Think about it like this: we sure as heck don’t share DNA with our spouses, but they’re still our family, right?

Why? Because we CHOSE them. Why did we choose them? Because we love them. So, if we can choose a spouse to become our family solely on how we feel about them, then we can absolutely do the same with friends.

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