What is family to you?

To me, a family is people who will be in your life forever regardless of what hurts, pains, or struggles you go through together. I notice people tend to be more forgiving of blood-related and more willing to work on repairing those types of relationships than those that aren't. For myself, family is any person who is willing to make the decision that though we may hurt one another from time to time, and perhaps in very big ways, we will figure out a way to mend the relationship and move forward together, becoming stronger and more closely bonded because of it, rather than in spite of it.
Perhaps that's a large order to fill... but I have it in a good number of high-quality people and I am better for it and lucky that some of those people also happen to be blood-related.

Hm.. I personally see the ones that care about one another as a family(some type of bond). I even consider my group of friends as my family. Even people of TOTJO at some point, because everyone is so caring here and willing to be there for one another even if we don't know everything about eachother, which is alright.

I suppose my personal definition of family is people with whom I have a contract, whether specifically spoken or not, of caring for and supporting each other.

Friends is a similar definition but not as binding a contract.

For humanity at large I still feel that I have a contract to people to be loving and helpful and supportive, but I don't look for the same in return.