fam-i-ly
1 : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head,
2: people treated with special loyalty and intimacy

We asked the Arizona Daily Wildcat columnists to come up with their own definitions of family. Move over, Merriam-Webster, here’s what they came up with:

I would have had a difficult time defining family before the summer of 2005. But for four breezy days in Denver, my dad decided to host a reunion for the Italian side of my family. There were all the prerequisites – pasta galore, enough wine to take down Danny Bonaduce – and to even the casual observer, it was obvious that these people were insane. Drinking in moderation and volume control were tossed aside, and the reunion soon became a dancing, laughing, shouting mass of Italians who wanted nothing more than to hug you and make you dance in front of the family. And it was there, dancing in front of 50 Italians in a way that can only be described as unfortunate, that I decided, “”This is family.””

– Damion LeeNatali, who is a senior majoring in political science and history

My family isn’t perfect. I don’t pretend that it is. But I know they are my fiercest ally, my biggest fan, my watchdog and my roots. They support me.

I am a self-sufficient grown woman, and I still need my mom and dad. I am OK with that. I need them because they stop my tears, give me advice, fix my bike (thanks, Dad) and believe in me more than I am sometimes able to believe in myself.
My family helps me when I alone am just not enough.

So no matter how far away from the nest I end up, I hope that I never forget my roots, as gnarled and twisted as they may be, because they are what keep me from falling down.

– Courtney Smith, who is a senior majoring in anthropology and molecular and cellular biology

Family is the kaleidoscope through which we view the world. The experience differs from person to person almost always. Often, a family is thought of in the simple mother, father and 2 1/2 children sense. To me, though, family is more than this core support group. It is anyone whom shares an unconditional bond of love, trust and support. The notion of bounding whom we consider “”family”” based strictly on blood ties is not only superficial, it separates us from those we would otherwise embrace more openly. My family consists of Hindus, Jews, Christians and Buddhists. As such, they have helped me view the world as a place of coexistence and harmony. Without their help I would not see the world in the way that I do, and without their help, none of us would view the world the way that we do.

– Shurid Sen, who is a senior majoring in political science.

I am the child of two very recently divorced parents. In fact, as of this summer, I am the child of two recently divorced parents and one even more recently remarried parent. Where I used to have one mother, now circumstances dictate that I try to get used to a second. Where I used to have one sibling, circumstances dictate that I try to get used to having four.

Being part of a family is an active pursuit. Families are not static, no matter how much sometimes we wish they could be. And it seems that our relationships with those closest to us evolve and change as our families evolve and change. Graduation or a big move, death or divorce – things are bound to happen that significantly impact the way in which we relate to what we think of as our family. But however we think of it, and however it looks to you, let’s enjoy and strengthen the evolving and growing relationships with our families. I think it’s worth it.

– Stan Molever, who is a senior majoring in philosophy.