The holiday season is upon us—a time to get together with family … or so they say. But what if it feels like we don’t have any family? Or we have “too much” family, causing stress or inharmony? Or we don’t get along with them? What then?

An approach I’ve found helpful is to think more deeply about the concept of family as not limited to the common definition of a group of mortals related by blood or marriage, but as the wonderfully harmonious unity of our divine Father-Mother God and all of us—His, Her, dearly beloved spiritual children. Think of it: We all have one loving Parent who is caring for us, providing for us, and guiding us. And because we all have one divine Parent, we are all brothers and sisters in the one loving, harmonious, and universal family of man. Mary Baker Eddy writes in the Christian Science textbook, “Man is the family name for all ideas,—the sons and daughters of God” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 515).

Christ Jesus certainly had an expansive, inclusive, spiritual sense of family that started with God and extended to man. Jesus often referred to God as his Father, and ours. For instance, the Lord’s Prayer he gave us starts with “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9). Another time, Jesus said: “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:48–50).

When Jesus was on the cross, he looked down at his mother standing there next to John and said, “Woman, behold thy son!” Then he looked to the disciple and said, “Behold thy mother!” John took her into his home after that (see John 19:25–27). Here was a holy and inclusive demonstration of family.

As we spiritualize our sense of family and open our hearts to those around us, we find that sense of family anywhere we are, even among people we have not yet met. The love and closeness that family represents cannot be limited in any way or by any circumstance. Family can’t be small when we love big, when we are feeling and expressing God’s infinite love for each of us.

We all have one loving Parent who is caring for us.

I have found that wherever I have lived, praying with these ideas has deepened my experience of “family.” When I’ve needed a mother’s loving embrace, a father’s solid advice, a sister’s companionship, the solidarity of a brother, the closeness of a daughter, or the assistance of a son, someone has always been there for me. There have been many precious mothers, beloved fathers, close sisters, trustworthy brothers, and loving sons and daughters in my life—most of them not “relatives” in the traditional sense, but all meeting the need for love and family when it arose.

For example, soon after I graduated from college, I went to work in a country far from my home. The customs and traditions there were very different from what I was used to. And when Thanksgiving approached, I felt lonely, as no one had even heard of this holiday. I prayed to know I could not be separated from the divinely derived love and joy of family, and I gave gratitude to God for all the blessings in my life. I came to see that the qualities of family I was looking for—such as love, warmth, caring, and happiness—were spiritual, and so I was never far from them.

As it turned out, living in that same town were a few American missionaries. One of them contacted me a couple of days before Thanksgiving and asked if I’d like to come have a meal and express gratitude to God with them on Thanksgiving Day. Of course, I gladly accepted. It was a splendid day, and I felt a genuine sense of family in the spiritual love, companionship, caring, and generosity we shared together that day. It was a family Thanksgiving never to be forgotten.

None of us is ever truly without family, because our divine Father-Mother God is ever showing us the presence of His, Her, all-inclusive love, wherever we are, all the time.

What if we’ve got plenty of family, but they seem a bit unlovable, or family gatherings are inharmonious?

As we rise above a limited mortal sense of family to the spiritual, we will find we have just the family we need.

Well, I like to think of young Joseph, whose father had given him a beautiful coat of many colors. We might say Joseph had too much family, as it seemed at times dysfunctional and destructive (see Genesis 37—45).

Joseph’s was a very big family with lots of siblings, half-siblings, extended family, and difficult family dynamics. The dad, Jacob, even showed favoritism toward one son—Joseph. Naturally, the others didn’t care for that. There were arguments, envies, and jealousies. Joseph’s half-brothers eventually plotted his demise. Years of total estrangement from his family followed for Joseph.

During this time, however, Joseph remained close to God, and “the Lord was with” him. He acted as God directed him, which enabled him to interpret dreams, protecting the Egyptians from famine. He expressed grace, meekness, patience, wisdom, and forbearance. The ultimate result was complete and lasting reunification with his family.

As we rise above a limited mortal sense of family to the spiritual understanding of family as the inseparable, joyous oneness of our loving Father-Mother God and His, Her, spiritual children, we will find we have just the family we need, and that it’s increasingly happy, harmonious, and helpful. The spiritual basis for this is not just wishful thinking; it’s spiritually scientific fact: “With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science” (Science and Health, pp. 469–470).

We can all nurture this sense of family during the holiday season—wherever we are and whomever we’re with—and enjoy a spiritually glorious time of loving God and man better; of rejoicing in the peace and joy of our shared and eternal relation to God and to our fellow man; and of feeling the blessings of God’s and our universal family.