What does the word family mean to you? To me, it means having a bunch of people around you that love, support and encourage you in everything you do, no matter what you look like or where you come from. No matter what path you chose to take after you graduate high school, they support you know matter what.

However, we all know our family isn’t perfect. We fight, we have disagreements, we don’t speak a lot because life gets busy. But no matter how busy we are, we still try and make time for each other.

Are you able to tell if you have a good and healthy family just by looking at them, their actions and how they treat you? If not, here are some things to look out for:

1. If you tell them you have a condition or Illness, they accept you- I told my family I had a mental Illness three years ago. Instead of pushing me away or shunning me, they accepted it and when I’m having a hard day where my mental illness is being a jerk, they know what to do to help. When I first got diagnosed with my condition 19 years ago, we all were not ready- we were shocked, devastated and fearful. But if you have that type of family that’ll love you know matter what, condition or not- then you will get through it!
2. They always cheer you on- If you have big goals in your life, whether it’s to be a teacher or a doctor, your family will always be there to support your goals. They won’t try to bring them down, they will only encourage them.
3. They are always proud of you- Hearing, “I’m so proud of you.” From someone in your family is the best feeling, don’t you agree? It always makes you feel good and lets you know you’re doing everything right. It only makes you push harder to follow your dreams!

There are many other things to look out for. These above things are just a few.

The hardest thing about having a family, though: if you feel that someone is toxic, you have no choice but to cut them out. I know it might be a hard thing to do because you love them and all, but sometimes after you give them a lot of chances to smarten up and be better, and they don’t do it- even after you’ve given them chances, then you have no choice but to cut them out- you know why? Because having a toxic person in your family isn’t good for your mental health or well-being.

I had to cut someone out of my life and let me tell you, I’ve never felt better! So yeah, cutting someone out is good for you and can make you feel better. Don’t be ashamed or start beating yourself up for cutting that person out-By doing so, you’re doing what best for you, and nobody else! It’s that person’s loss, not yours!

A family is the best gift you can receive. Keep the ones that care close. Cut out the ones that don’t out. Make time for each other, make the best memories possible. Laugh and cry together. Tell your family you love them today and every day because tomorrow isn’t promised.