The Family I Found Poem by Vanessa Dizon Alvarez

Family isn't always blood
it's the ones who see your light.
The ones who hold your laughter close
and stand with you through night.

It's not the name you're given,
or the ties that time may fray.
It's those who choose you freely,
and never walk away.

They don't need perfect answers,
don't ask you to pretend.
They love the way your heart beats,
and call you more than friend.

They're there when joy feels distant,
when silence fills the air.
They show up just to see you smile,
to prove that someone cares.

They don't just watch you struggle—
they lift, they hold, they try.
They don't just speak of loyalty
they live it, side by side.

So here's to love that's chosen,
to bonds that don't demand.
To family made of kindness,
and hearts that understand.