Day 8. Redefining Family in a Changing World – Uplifting Chosen and Blended Families.

Let’s turn our focus to the evolving concept of family as we explore wholeness in our lives. In today’s world, families come in many forms—chosen families, blended families, multigenerational households, and more. These diverse configurations challenge traditional norms, offering powerful examples of love, resilience, and connection.

What is a Family?
The idea of family has always been fluid. Historically, families have been shaped by culture, economics, and social systems. Today, many individuals are redefining family to include not only those connected by blood or marriage but also those bound by love, trust, and shared values.

• Chosen Families: For many LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, and those estranged from their families of origin, chosen families offer safety, affirmation, and unconditional support. These families are built on mutual care and intentional relationships, embodying the spirit of wholeness in community
• Blended Families:Blended families, formed through remarriage or partnership, bring together children, parents, and sometimes extended families from different households. While navigating these relationships can be complex, they also demonstrate the beauty of flexibility and the strength of love in forming new bonds

How We Uplift Family Diversity

We welcome families of all kinds, providing spaces for connection, celebration, and support.

• Welcoming Spaces: We strive to create inclusive environments where all families are valued and honored
• Religious Education: We teach young people about diverse family structures, promoting understanding and respect
• Social Justice Advocacy: We work to dismantle systems that marginalize nontraditional families, advocating for policies that protect and uplift them

Resources to Learn More

• Books:
  • “Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship,” by Kath Weston
• Articles:
  • “The Joy in Finding Your Chosen Family,” available on the New York Times website
  • “Chosen Families: Reflecting on Radical Love within the Queer Community,” available on the Recovery Cafe Network website
• Videos and Media:
  • “Chosen Family Podcast,” a podcast exploring the relationships amongst chosen family
  • “Chosen Family,” (a short documentary on LGBTQ+ family connections)

An Invitation to Reflection
What does family mean to you? How have your experiences shaped your understanding of family? How can you support and uplift diverse families in your community? Today, let us celebrate the many ways love creates family. By honoring chosen, blended, and nontraditional families, we take another step toward Bringing Our Wholeness to our world. Together, we affirm that love, in all its forms, is what truly defines family.

Learn more: The Stepfamily Foundation is an organization that provides resources for blended families including counseling and coaching, books and articles about the blended family experience.

Wholeness is not a fixed state; it is an evolving practice of acceptance, compassion, and justice. Together, let us explore what it means to bring wholeness into our own lives, our congregations, and the broader world.

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#UU #UUA #CelebrateDiversity #BlendedFamilies #ChosenFamily #FamilyWholeness