It is widely said that the availability of having a family is far more pivotal than having friends, and some people claim that family can substitute for friends. I totally agree with this view for some reasons.
The reason why a family is more important than a friendship is that the family is always on your side. To be specific, you are with your family most of the time, whether it is a difficult or happy situation. Your friends cannot be with you all the time when you need them, but your family is on your side in the ups and downs of life. Furthermore, your family—a wife, a husband, a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, and a brother or a sister—tends to choose you if they face choosing their family or friends in difficult situations. My experience is a good case of this point; when my family and my friend argued over a plot of land, I had to prioritize my family.
Another advantage of the family is that it relates to health. When a person ages, is ill, and needs help, family members are the ones who step first in as caregivers, and the person feels that he/she is not alone or has a family who loves him/her, thereby leading him/her to feel comfort. As a result, feeling this is a strong protective factor against mental illnesses and helps to increase his/her mental well-being. Therefore, having a family proves instrumental in being healthy.
In conclusion, having a family or being always with a family together is a source of happiness, support, and health. Thus, I agree that having a family plays a far more crucial role in people’s lives, and people can substitute friends for families.
