Is there such a thing as no strings?

No strings attached.

Its a phrase that I have heard quite a bit in the last few years. It started in high school with the release of the album by NSync called No Strings Attached. At the tender age of seventeen I was blindly unaware as to what strings were and what the title of that album foreshadowed involving the actual lyrics to the song. I know it seems strange that a grown man is making reference to a teeny bopper boy band but follow me.

In my world, the are a lot of things that are supposedly no strings. Sex, relationships, friendships, actions, words, all of which can in theory contain no strings but only if that is an actual stipulation. But can this exsist in actuality? Is there such a thing as no strings? Every word we say, every decision we make causes an emotion, whether in ourselves or in others. Fear, anger, hurt, happiness, joy, bliss, all are caused by decisions that we make. I suppose that the actual meaning of this is that nothing past this. You don't hold me responsible for anything more than what we agree on but I have never been able to do that. Well at least not consciencely.

As of late, I have begun to think about what is happening in life. I am 24 and while that is not OLD persay its old enough to know better. Its old enough to begin to start to settle in and look for those things in my life that are going to be constant. Gone are the fleeting romances, the flings, the replaceable friends, the disposable emotions and relationships.

Those things, always associated with childlike behavior and times are now replaced with words like partner, marriage, family, love and connection. Never before has there been a time when I have needed the love and support of not only my blood family but the family that I have chosen. To some degree, that family is more than the other. Blood family is given. Chosen family is just that.....chosen. A conscience decision is made to allow these people into all facets of your life, emotion and thought. They invade every part of you. They know you better than anyone. They are the ones you call when you aren't sure you could be happier and the ones you call when you aren't sure that you could make it through alone.

I have been blessed in my life to have an incredible, supportive, and loving blood family and even more blessed to have found a chosen family that I feel 100% a part of. No judgement, no hidden agendas. Just love.

In answer to the question, I don't think that there is ever such a thing as no strings. There are always strings. It is how we deal with these strings that truly defines our life.