It is the most wonderful time of the year. Well, almost.

Thanksgiving is coming in a week or so, and many will think of the holiday season. For some, it means risking your neck for a deal on Black Friday. For others, it means having awkward conversations with extended family members at the dinner table or getting sloshed at a New Year’s Eve party.

The holiday season, for me, is about cherishing the time spent with family. I know that sounds cliché, but it is the truth.

I am thankful for the upbringing I had with my loving parents and supportive sisters. Going away to college has only made me appreciate my family even more, which I feel is not an isolated sentiment. Even though a student may part ways with their family to pursue a college education, that bond they have is enduring and undying.

Now, that is just going off the standard definition of family. Family can be anyone you hold near and dear. Above all else, a family is the people you know you can count on, and vice-versa.

Having a family unit gives a person a sense of security in this rapidly changing world. When life becomes an overwhelming storm, a person’s kinship can act as a shelter from it all.

Family also grants people a sense of belonging and familiarity. In a world that is constantly evolving, it is easy to lose yourself. When with family, though, that all goes away. You are instantly reminded of those roots and sense of self since these are the people who helped to create the person you are today.

Everyone has at least one or two groups they call family. I am quite thankful for my three families: my birth family, my family of friends and my family at the Royal Purple. Without them, there would be no me as I am today.

Go out and spend time with your families this holiday season, and give thanks for those who are in your life.