Quotes

130 Quotes About Family That Remind Us To Cherish The People We Love Most

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cherish family quote over image of family outside

The older I get, the more I realize how important family is. In times of trouble, reading cherish family quotes can solidify that.

What better way to show your family how important they are to you than by sending them the best cherish family quotes when they're least expecting it?

Of course, family doesn't have to be limited to blood relatives. Our closest family and friends are often those who share the belief that there is strength in numbers. Knowing you can count on your family to stick together, have your back, and love you no matter what is truly a blessing.

From the moment we enter the world, family is our primary source of inspiration. Sometimes that's a beautiful thing, and sometimes it leads to pain. Either way, there's no denying how large a role family plays in determining who you are.

Cherishing your family is essential — if they deserve it — for living a happy life. You can show love to your family by sharing these quotes.

130 Inspirational Quotes About Family

Good family quotes are the best collection of short family quotes, sayings, captions, messages, and proverbs.

Meaningful Short Family Quotes

1. "Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter." — Brad Henry

Photo: Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock

RELATED: 25 'Missing You' Quotes To Send Close Family & Friends When You Miss Them

2. "Family isn't an important thing. It's everything." — Michael J. Fox

3. "The informality of family life is a blessed condition that allows us all to become our best while looking our worst." — Marge Kennedy

4. "A happy family is but an earlier heaven." — George Bernard Shaw

5. "The family is the test of freedom; because the family is the only thing that the free man makes for himself and by himself." — Gilbert K. Chesterton

6. "I have a wonderful shelter, which is my family." — José Carreras

7. "With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most important role models." — Michelle Obama

8. "To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” — Barbara Bush

9. "The family is one of nature’s masterpieces." — George Santayana

10. "In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future." — Alex Haley

11. "Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family." — Anthony Brandt

12. "Family is the most important thing in the world.” — Princess Diana

13. "Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold." —​ Andre Maurois

14. "Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life." — Albert Einstein

15. "You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family." — Anita Baker

16. "Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing." — Irina Shayk

RELATED: 60 Family Time Quotes That Remind You To Spend Quality Time With The People You Love

Quotes About Family Love

The love we share with our family is arguably the most powerful love of all. When people talk about unconditional love, they often mean the kind of undying devotion only found in the bond between family members, especially between parents and their children, as well as between grandparents and their grandchildren.

17. "I sustain myself with the love of family." — Maya Angelou

Photo: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock

18. "In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony." — Eva Burrows

19. "When trouble comes, it’s your family that supports you." — Guy Lafleur

20. "Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family.” — Paul Pearsall

21. “The world, we’d discovered, doesn’t love you like your family loves you.” — Louis Zamperini

22. “Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.” — Lisa Weed

23. "Family is like music, some high notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song." — Jesse Joseph

24. "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." — Henry Ward Beecher

25. "It didn’t matter how big our house was; it mattered that there was love in it.: — Peter Buffett

26. "There's no vocabulary for love within a family, love that's lived in but not looked at, love within the light of which all else is seen, the love within which all other love finds speech. This love is silent." — T.S. Eliot

27. "Parents were the only ones obligated to love you; from the rest of the world you had to earn it."― Ann Brashares

28. "Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family." — Menachem Begin

29. "The most important thing in the world is family and love." — John Wooden

30. "Think of your family today and every day thereafter, don’t let the busy world of today keep you from showing how much you love and appreciate your family." — Josiah

31. "Family knows your flaws but loves you anyway."

32. "The strength of family isn't determined by the number of members, but rather by the amount of love given and received."

RELATED: Why You Should Make Mindfulness A Family Activity

Quotes About Family And Friends

For many, friends are the family we choose for ourselves. In the best circumstances, our friends and family both play their own positive and deeply meaningful roles in our lives, while others gravitate towards the other. What's most important is recognizing and cherishing those who add value.

33. "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." — Jane Howard

Photo: Evgeny Atamanenko / Shutterstock

34. "Friends are the family you choose." ― Jess C. Scott

35. "Family isn't always about blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are.The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what." 

36. "I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching, they are your family." — Jim Butcher

37. “Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.” — John C. Maxwell

38. "Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches." — Wanda Hope Carter

39. "Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family." — Trenton Lee Stewart

40. “The capacity for friendship is God’s way of apologizing for our families.” ― Jay McInerney

41. "Often we think of love in terms of people, whether they are friends, family, or romantic partners." — Janet Springer

42. "You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." — Frederick Buechner

43. "My inner strength comes from my friends. I have a very close group of friends and family, and we all help each other through our dark times." — Kathy Bates

44. "The language of friendship is not words but meanings." — Henry David Thoreau

45. "Friends are just family chosen by you." — Jennifer Betts

46. "The length of one's days matter less than the love of one's family and friends." — Gerald Ford

47. "The real success of our personal lives and careers can best be measured by the relationships we have with the people most dear to us — our family, friends, and co-workers." — Mary Kay

48. "Surround yourself with family and friends, because it's not the minutes but the love that matters." — Jennifer Betts

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Disney Quotes About Family

Nothing says family quite like Disney. From the man himself to classic Disney cartoons and joint ventures with Pixar, Disney quotes about family have their own special kind of magic.

49. "We may have our differences, but nothing’s more important than family." — "Coco"

Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

50. "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." — Stitch, "Lilo & Stitch"

51. "You see? He lives in you." — Rafiki, "The Lion King"

52. "There comes a day when you're gonna look around and realize happiness is where you are." — Chief Tui, "Moana"

53. "Some people are worth melting for." — Olaf, "Frozen"

54. "A man should never neglect his family for business." — Walt Disney

55. "Because when I look at you, I can feel it. And I look at you and I’m home.” — Dory, "Finding Nemo"

56. "The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter." — Fa Zhou, "Mulan"

57. "Being a part of this family means you are here for this family." — Abuelita, "Coco"

58. "Good friends will help you until you're unstuck." — Pooh, "Winnie the Pooh"

59. “The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together — and that’s the backbone of our whole business, catering to families — that’s what we hope to do.” — Walt Disney

60. "You've got a friend in me." — Randy Newman, "Toy Story"

61. "I wouldn't trade it for anything. Never, no, never. Your friendship is the best present ever." — Tigger, "Winnie the Pooh"

62. "Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours." — Olaf, "Frozen"

63. "Sebastian: Like I always say, Your Majesty, 'Children have got to be free to lead their own lives.'
Triton: You always say that, Sebastian? Well, I guess there's one problem left. 
Sebastian: And what's that, Your Majesty? 
Triton: How much I'm going to miss her." — Sebastian and Triton, "The Little Mermaid"

64. "The important thing is the family." — Walt Disney

RELATED: 5 Tips For Managing An Ever-Changing Family Schedule Seamlessly

Religious, Spiritual, And Biblical Quotes About Family

From the words written in the Bible to those spoken by modern-day clergy and renowned spiritual thinkers and activists, the uniquely important nature of family relationships is one we are repeatedly called upon to give a special place of honor.

65. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” — Exodus 20:12

Photo: Studio Romantic / Shutterstock

66. "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." — Desmond Tutu

67. “The family is the first essential cell of human society.” — Pope John XXIII

68. "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." — Mother Teresa

69. “Sooner or later, we all learn that our immortality is rooted not in our professional involvements and achievements, but in our families. In time, all of our wins and losses in the workplace will be forgotten. If our memories endure, it will be because of the people we have known and touched.” ― Rabbi Harold Kushner

70. "We love him because he first loved us." — John 4:19

71. "The family is where we are formed as people. Every family is a brick in the building of society." — Pope Francis

72. "Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." — 2 John 1:6

73. "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" — Psalm 133:1

74. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." — Proverbs 17:17

75. "All are called to love and cherish family life, for families are not a problem; they are first and foremost an opportunity." — Pope Francis

76. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." — Matthew 5:9

77. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." — 1 Peter 4:8-11

78. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

79. "Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." — Proverbs 17:6

80. "The strength of the family lies in its capacity to love and to teach how to love." — Pope Francis

RELATED: 60 Family Time Quotes That Remind You To Spend Quality Time With The People You Love

Funny Quotes About Family

If you can laugh at the harsh realities of life, you'll have a pretty rough time making it very far in this world. And what can be harsher than family? As someone once said, if it's not one thing... it's your mother!

81. "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." — George Burns

Photo: DisobeyArt / Shutterstock

82. "I grew up with six brothers. That's how I learned to dance — waiting for the bathroom." — Bob Hope

83. "Family. A little bit of crazy, a little bit of loud, and a whole lot of love." 

84. "A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it." — Mary Karr

85. "If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance." ― George Bernard Shaw

86. "Families are like fudge — mostly sweet with a few nuts." — Les Dawson

87. "A family is a bunch of people who keep confusing you with someone you were as a kid." — Robert Brault

88. "Home, nowadays, is a place where part of the family waits till the rest of the family brings the car back." — Earl Wilson

89. "A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold." — Ogden Nash

90. "The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy." — Sam Levenson

91. "From the ages of 8-18, me and my family moved around a lot. Mostly we would just stretch, but occasionally one of us would actually get up to go to the fridge." — Jarod Kintz

92. "All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with white carpet is one of them." — Erma Bombeck

93. "Nothing in life is fun for the whole family. There are no massage parlors with ice cream and free jewelry." — Jerry Seinfeld

94. "Children really can brighten up a house, because they never turn the lights off." — Ralph Bus

95. "The advantage of growing up with siblings is that you become very good at fractions." — Robert Brault

96. “Being part of a family means smiling for photos.” — Harry Morgan

RELATED: 5 Family Therapy Exercises To Tighten Your Family Bonds Without Leaving Your House

Family Strength Quotes

We need every ounce of strength we can gather in this life. The best families are those that lift one another up, joining forces, presenting a united family bond, and carrying the load as a team in the best sense of the word.

97. "Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." — David Ogden Stiers

Photo: Linderina / Shutterstock

98. "The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other." — Mario Puzo

99. "Family is the center of life. It is the key to eternal happiness." — L. Tom Perry

100. "Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst." — Marjorie Pay Hinckley​

101. "Families are like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one." 

102. "I know every family has its problems, but I admire those that stick together." — Karina Barton

103. "If you are too busy to enjoy quality time with your family, then you need to reevaluate your priorities." — Dave Willis

104. "Your family is the best team you could ever have." — Iona Mink

105. "Sticking with your family is what makes it a family." — Mitch Albom

106. "Leaning on family and friends can be the light guiding the way during a lonely walk down a dark road." — Jennifer Betts

107. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” — Richard Bach

108. "The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family." — Lee Iacocca

109. "My mother used to tell me that when push comes to shove, you always know who to turn to. That being a family isn't a social construct but an instinct." — Jodi Picoult

110. "Families keep us grounded when hopelessness surrounds us." — Jennifer Betts

111. "Family ties are like spider webs. They are delicate, yet so strong, And if they are broken or destroyed, They can be woven again." — Kelly Roper

112. "Family gives you the roots to stand tall and strong."

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Best Family Quotes

There's no right way for a family to be formed. Whether you choose to call them your step-family, bonus-family, or some other fun term that's meaningful to you, the important thing is remembering that you chose them — and that's pretty special.

113. "There is no such thing as a ‘broken family.’ Family is family and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, or adoption documents." — C. JoyBell C.

Photo: DNF Style / Shutterstock

114. "We aren't step, we aren't half, we're just family." — Imma Hog

115. "Family isn’t something that’s supposed to be static or set. People marry in, divorce out. They’re born, they die. It’s always evolving, turning into something else." ― Sarah Dessen

116. "Family isn't designed by genes. It's love that makes families whole." — Jennifer Betts

117. "Your basic extended family today includes your ex-husband or -wife, your ex's new mate, your new mate, possibly your new mate's ex, and any new mate that your new mate's ex has acquired." — Delia Ephron

118. "Becoming a blended family means mixing, mingling, scrambling, and sometimes muddling our way through delicate family issues, complicated relationships, and individual differences, hurts, and fears. But through it all, we are learning to love like a family." — Tom Frydenger

119. "The secret to blending families is... There is no secret. It’s scary and awesome and ragged and perfect and always changing. Love and laugh hard; try again tomorrow." — Mir Kamin

120. "When two families become one, it's just more love to share." — Jennifer Betts

121. "Remember why you chose to come together in the first place—the love that you have for your partner. Your partner’s children are an extension of them and this makes them just as important to your happiness." — Beth Happiness

122. "It’s about prioritizing. Just take it one step at a time. Do the best you can. I’m a mom and I have two husbands—an ex-husband and a next husband. It’s a blended family and it’s very hard to keep things together, but we’re happy and we live in love." — Kimora Lee Simmons

123. "Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy’s staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of divorce." — Jennifer Weiner

124. "When it feels as if you can't do right by the other parent, do right by your step-child instead. You'll never fail with their best interest at heart." — Jessica James

125. "Blended families are made by choice, but it's the love that strengthens them." — Jennifer Betts

126. "Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum." — Rick Riordan

127. "Blood makes you related; love makes you family." — Horace Cope

128. "There will always be steps you can take toward unity in your blended family. You will make—one step at a time!" — Donna Houpe

129. "Bright families are just like bright colors: When you blend two, you get something beautiful!" — Joe King

130. "You’re facing one of the most important challenges of your life. Yet, being a member of a blended family can be an exciting adventure for all concerned." — Kathie M. Thompson

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Alexis George is a writer who covers love, relationship advice, astrology and personality topics.