What is a family?

What is the definition of the word family?

"Family refers to a collection of people, related to each other by marriage, ancestry, adtoption, or affinity, who have a commitment to each other and a unique identity with each other. This collection forms an economic unit. The adults in the collection have varying degress of responsibility for young members that might be a part of the collection" (Bidwell and Vander Mey, 2000).
SOURCE: Dr. Lee Bidwell, Longwood College (http://ryoung001.homestead.com/FamDef.html)

Today's post is a tough one. One thing that completes me is my family. As of 8 months ago I married into another family. There is my family, Mr.O's mom's family and then Mr. O's dad's family. All made up of parents, in-laws, step dads, step kids, sister in laws, brother in laws, and a niece.

Mr. O and I compliment each other very well but our families are very different. We never dealt with family issues until the day he asked me to marry him and it has continued to go down this road since we have said "I do." It has been a daily struggle for myself and our marriage.

I am a people pleaser. I will go over and above for the people I love... I don't expect that everyone should do the same for me but I do feel that respect and being thankful go a long way. I love my family and want them apart of my life as much as possible but I can't seem to find my place in my new extended family.

I know this will be a work in progress to try and be apart of my new family and make it successful but it will have to take all of us to make it work.