Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.

times seem to always be getting rougher

Someday there will be someone whom is honored to give me a Ph.D, happy about having me as a researcher, motivated to have me as a professor, proud to have me as their girlfriend, excited about treating me highly respectably, and unselfish enough to not hurt me. I can only hope it's in this lifetime.