What is a family?

The meaning of a family to me is those people are the ones that will always be there when no one else is. My life growing up was not the greatest, but my family was always there to take me in and help. What really made me realize that I could always rely on my family was the iccidents that acquired when I was younger. First, my parents did make sure that my sister and I had clothes, food, education, and shelter. But, the thing my sister and I need the most was to be in a loving, happy home which it wasn't. My parents were very young when I was born; my father was 22, and my mother was 17. My father became an alcoholic shortly after I was born until I was 8 years old. I remember my father being very abusive to my mom, and the police coming to our house atleast twice a week. My mom never pressed charges against him so he never got in trouble. Also, my dad used to take his anger out on me, especially when I would try to help my mother. He didn't appreciate it when I didn't listen to him when he told me to go to my room, or go play outside because I knew what was going to happen when I wasn't around. After the divorce, my parents never spoke to eachother nor even look at eachother. They fought how to raise us as divorced parents but never agreed. My mother and her side of the family is the family I remember the most raising my sister and I. As I grew up, my father and I barely got along because I remember clearly what had went on during my younger years.