I just finished my 50th found family story and it hit me
I keep a list on my phone of every book or show I read that fits this theme. I added a new one last night, a quiet sci-fi book called 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet', and my count ticked over to 50. That number really got me. I started this list maybe five years ago after a rough patch where my own friend group felt scattered. I guess I was looking for that feeling in stories. Seeing 50 entries made me realize how much I lean on these plots, not for escape, but almost like a blueprint. They show all the different ways people can choose to stick together, from a crew on a spaceship to a bunch of kids solving mysteries in a small town. It's the specific, quiet moments that get me, like sharing a meal after a hard day or someone just showing up without being asked. Has anyone else found themselves drawn to a certain number of these stories, and did it make you see your own life a bit differently?