How many times have you taken a family photo? I’m guessing many of you have. Now how many of you have taken a family photo and when you look at it, you think of how many times it took to get everyone looking and smiling at the same time? Or maybe there were other circumstances and hurdles that stood in your way and by golly you were determined that family photo was going to happen because of the hours spent coordinating outfits, styling hair, polishing nails, all the while trying not to break a sweat and ruin your makeup.

While many of us can relate to the hustle that happens before a family photo, can you imagine what it was like in the 1800’s? Granted they may have not had to worry about matching clothes or makeup, but trying to get everyone to sit still long enough for the shutter to open and close?

While in today’s culture family has become a more diverse image, there are still times when I think many of us have found ourselves trying to strike a balance between reality and family perfection whether it is for a family photo or in something we had scripted out in our mind.

In today’s podcast I’m going to be sharing with you how over the years my perception of family has evolved through the loss of extended family and how unexpectedly we have received the gift of friends who have turned into family.