The Identity Molecule

        This week in class we learned about the Identity Molecule. We started off with an activity of writing down every group that you felt had an influence over your life in one way or another. We then had to pick two as our "masters", or what we felt had the greatest influence of us. Everybody seemed to have the traditional "family" or "friend", but something that I noticed when we were going over other people's groups was that there were a lot of group that have also had an influence on me, but I could not think of them on my own. I really found this interesting and found it intriguing to be able to relate to things that I at first did not realize even for myself, but that do really have a huge influence in my life. One of the groups that I personally wrote down was "my brothers friends". Most people would never think that a siblings friends could influence there life so much, but in my life I find it very noticeable. My brother Devin is five years older than me and while we were growing up, he always had the same group of four guy friends over. I became so close with these guys because they were always at my house that they literally became like brothers to me. I can tell them anything and I know that they will always be there for me even though I am not their "real" sister. After this activity I actually told one of my brothers friends this story. His first response to when I said they are like older brothers to me and I know that they would always be there for me was "and you better not forget it!" I think that this is so special and now to be able to acknowledge this meaning makes me value having them in my life so much more.