For me, they are people from an online community. We know eachother since 1-2 decades and they know some things about me that even my own mother doesn’t know. They even unknowingly saved my life when i was on the nearly suicidal during COVID, simply by responding to my cry for help. Sometimes, we get at each other’s nerves, but we still close friends nevertheless.


My wife, kid, dog, our friend/nanny who’s 20 years younger, and my friend group from college. We also have some ex-coworkers who are like adopted grandparents, and a few more who are smaller friend groups.
I’m low-contact with my immediate family, and my wife’s parents are dead, buslt she has some siblings who are close friends.