It’s not unusual for individuals to ‘complain’ or have ‘challenges’ with members of their family! I was told once that it’s really because of DNA! Yes, it’s the blood line of family members who by DNA are linked to one another like a string of pearls. They are knotted together from one generation to the next in an unbreakable bond.

So, even if you want to ‘break away’ from a negative, complaining or eccentric relative, the glue still sticks. That’s the way it is.

On the other hand, great friends are relationships we choose. They are those individuals who enrich our lives, support us even when we are crazy, unloving and impossible and with whom we can be unconditionally who we are. Realistically, however, they are not the same as knotted pearls. They are more like old pop-out beads. You can add new friends, keep them or pop them out when the relationship wanes.