You’ll often hear people say “blood is thicker than water” as a way of praising familial bonds, especially in comparison to just about any other relationship, but if I’m not mistaken, the full phrase is actually, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” – “covenant” meaning a formal agreement or solemn promise. 

Now, this isn’t to say family isn’t important. I believe family is one of the most important things a person can have, as it tends to have the biggest impact on our lives, for better or for worse. But if all you have in common with someone is blood and a last name, how are you supposed to feel that bond in the first place?

Whether we notice it or not, we live in cathedrals built from covenants — or, more simply, the promises we make to our friends craft a sanctuary. Maybe we need to barge inside for protection from a storm, to weep our sins to a listening ear and start fresh, or maybe we just like being there because the music is nice.

The very best cathedrals cater to all these needs. They stand firm when built correctly, free of the unspoken “I’m only doing this because you’re my family.” They’re home to kind acts born from freedom, not from obligation.

Naturally, our families are the foundation of these cathedrals and often continue to help expand them. For some, they’re a welcome part of the morning service. For others, the cathedrals are there to protect them from their blood. The friends who work alongside them to build the cathedral taller are their family – not in a biological sense, sure, but in a way that truly matters.

This is just our overly poetic way of saying that found family isn’t just a tag on AO3. It exists outside of sites like Wattpad (though it’s more than welcome there, too), and it’s beautiful beyond words. To look at someone and know you’d do anything for each other — just because you can, just because you want to — is part of humanity that never fails to astound. 

Even if people are right about blood being thicker than water, what does density have to do with anything? Syrup is thicker than water, too. That doesn’t make us pancakes.