When I was in a poly relationship, we were all very low income, so we'd help each other out with rent and emergencies. I helped someone's brother navigate the p

When I was in a poly relationship, we were all very low income, so we'd help each other out with rent and emergencies. I helped someone's brother navigate the process of getting a GED and figuring out community college, the group as a whole helped another member kick his alcoholism, and we were there for each other during challenging times. I was only dating one other person in the core group, not everyone else, but it was like having a large extended family that truly had your back, and still is -- even though I'm in a monogamous relationship now, I'm still close to my ex and everyone else in that group. They're my chosen family I think when practiced mindfully, this kind of relationship structure is really powerful. You don't have to go through things alone or with only one other person who'll always truly have your back. I don't want to idealize it: polyamory is hard work, without which it becomes a toxic dumpsterfire shitshow. Being able to have a tight knit community like this and maintain it for years is tough, and requires lots of patience, honesty, vulnerability and mindfulness. But it's gone a long way towards showing me how flimsy the traditional family structure in the West can be -- particularly for those of us who have complicated relationships with the families we were born into.