I often refer to these kinds of friendships as the family of our choosing. Those close friends who we trust more to leave guardianship of our children to than we do to kin. For example, my closest friend is the sister of my heart and the only person I could have ever considered to be my son's godmother and possible parent if something had happened to myself and my husband. She's been so much better a force in my son's life than I would have wanted from my kin. She's a far more beneficial influence in his life – even more so than I imagined when I chose her to be his godmother. She accepted the responsibility with deep consideration and whole devotion – a devotion my own kin never showed to my son (or me, for that matter).