K is for Kin or Kindred

One of my new (from this years’ Blogging A to Z Challenge)  blog friends, Dana at Waiter, Drink Please! mentioned that we are now one third of the way through the challenge.  One third is good.  Perhaps soon I’ll finally feel the direction I felt last year.  Perhaps I’ll have to wait until Next year to feel it!   Regardless, I’m diving in again, this time with the letter K.

Today the word is kin or kindred.  Dictionary.com defines kin as “a person’s relatives collectively; kinfolk.”  Interestingly, kindred is defined the same way when used as a noun.  But when used as an adjective it is defined as “having the same belief, attitude or feeling.”   I never realized the words would have the same definition. But you didn’t come here for a vocabulary lesson.  Neither did I.  I just realize as I get older that looking up words might give me a clearer picture of what people are saying and in truth, a clearer picture of what I’m saying.

Last year in the A to Z, I talked a lot about family members.  That might be one of the reasons I’m having trouble this year.  I used up all of the good topics last year.  That’s not true of course, but I did a lot of family posts.  I enjoyed doing them and they were well received.

I’ve always thought of kin as the family that we are given; our parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.  I was blessed with wonderful, caring parents who left us too soon.  I was blessed with grandparents who I was blessed to have in my life much longer than some other people.  I will always be grateful for that.  My sister, Ele is always my biggest supporter.  She takes me as I am and loves me anyway.  I am so lucky to have her.

As life has progressed, so has technology and thanks to things like Facebook, I’ve been able to get back in touch with cousins both near and far.  It’s an amazing thing and I’m so grateful to now have them back in my life.

I’ve always thought of “kindred” as the people who you choose to have in your life.  Friends.  People you’ve gone to school with, people you’ve worked with.  Some people you find by accident, running into them in a store or a Weight Watchers meeting or even on-line.

I have friends that I’ve known my entire life and I do mean my entire life.  They are my age and we’ve lived through the same things together.  We’ve supported each other through easy times and through difficult times.  We know each other well.

I have friends that are young enough to be my children or in some cases even my grandchildren.  They are no less friends just because of the age difference. Friends come in all ages, all colors, all shapes and sizes.  I feel that I have developed real friendships with on-line friends as well.  Just because I’ve never seen them in person, doesn’t mean I can’t feel that connection.  I believe there is something in that person that clicks with something inside this person and it all works.

I believe in being open to new friends.  Some people are more cautious with making new friendships, they are wary of getting involved with new people.  I figure that I can never tell where that new friendship might lead.  I could learn something new, discover some wonderful opportunity.  If all I get out of it is a new friend, then that would be just fine with me.

Kin or Kindred?  Whichever you are, Thank you for being a part of my life.

Happy Friday!