If you’ve listened to this podcast before, then you know the concept of the chosen family is very important to me personally.

Some people in my chosen family play a variety of roles. Some play just one. Some are back-ups; others are back-ups for my back-ups. Cumulatively, it all adds up: today I feel more supported than I ever have in my life.

I’ve talked about chosen families in other episodes – including Episode 16, about my friend Jeff’s, and Episode 19, about my own – but I’ve never done one like today’s, which delves deep into what a chosen family is; why it’s important; and how to build one yourself.

Chosen families are the people who catch you when you fall but also help springboard you to the next level. Even if you already have a strong familial support system, this matters: you could still be part of a chosen family for someone else. 

Whether you’re building a chosen family out of necessity, like I did, or by choice, they matter. They make our lives richer, our support systems stronger, and our worlds a little bit better.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• What a chosen family is: people who choose you through their words, intentions, and actions (with you choosing them back)
• The fallacy of the “all-or-nothing” mindset of the chosen family and the different roles chosen family members can play: big, small, medical, etc.
• My breast-cancer scare and how I leaned on my chosen family while I had to wait for the mammogram and ultrasound
• Celebrating holidays, birthdays, vacations, and milestones with chosen family members and how to create traditions with them
• Ways we can support our chosen families – plus, the power of specific support offers (helping with a new baby; driving someone to doctor appointments, etc.)

Resources & Links

Listen to other episodes about chosen families, including Episode 19, “The One for Little Alex,” and Episode 16. Also be sure to listen to Episode 12, about my Roots of Connection framework.

Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!