Human connection is essential to survival. Even the most introverted among us still need community, belonging, and people who know our stories. Friends. Family. Chosen family. People who show up. I have no biological family in Rochester, yet somehow I’ve built a wide network of people here. Within that circle is a much smaller group of close friends who are family in every meaningful sense of the word. That community is one of the reasons I’ve been able to thrive here. For ma