Skylar Ewing College Prep Definition Essay October 25, 2016 Changing Family Amos Oz once said, “I find the family the most mysterious and fascinating institution in the world.” Families are different all around the world. What is the true definition of “family”? According to the dictionary, “family” is a group of parents and children living together in one household and are all descendants of a common ancestor. As time has passed the definition and interpretation of family has changed. To me, “family” means love and respect for the most important individuals in your life. These individuals are not necessarily blood relation, but instead, a group of people who love and care for me. The word family holds different meanings according to different families. “Family” could mean all coming from a common ancestor or it could mean a group of individuals who care for each other. The dictionary definition of “family” is not always what comes to mind when thinking of family. Time continues to pass, and as time passes the meaning of “family” changes. In the early 1900s families were exactly like the dictionary definition. All families lived together and came from a common descendant. Biracial families were not accepted or even existed in that time period. Nowadays, families are biracial. A better definition of “family” in the 21st century would be, “family” is the individuals a person chooses to surround himself with a majority of the time. Most families in America are not traditional families, but they are accepted because Americans have discovered the deeper meaning of “family.” Throughout generations movies have voiced their perspective of what they believe “family” means. For example, in Disney’s movie Lilo and Stitch the meaning of “family” is caring for and remembering family members, even if the family is broken. The film writers for this movie convey how the definition of “family” continues to change with the passing of time. Lilo says in the movie, “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Stitch learns throughout the movie the importance of family. He realizes he now has a family on Earth, and it maybe broken but that is ok. One of the main characters in the movie is Mr. Bubbles. Mr. Bubbles fails to realize that a sister is a good family for Lilo. Stitch helps Mr. Bubbles realize there is still love and care in a family that is not traditional. One of Stitch’s last lines in the movie is, “This is my family. I found it all on my own. It is little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.” Like Amos Oz says, family is mysterious and fascinating in a way that the definition of “family” changes and evolves. The definition of “family” started as only meaning all descendants of a common ancestor and living in one household. As families began to diversify the definition of “family” expanded. Today Americans have different perspectives on what is considered family. Majority of families in the 21st century are not considered traditional. “Family” can mean coming from a common ancestor or just a group of individuals that care for each other; it all just depends on who is defining “family.”