Family

Blog125:

Everywhere around the world families come in all sizes and types.  Some families are small while others are big.  In many families, children have sisters and brothers.  In others, a child may not have either a brother or a sister.  While some children and their parents may have fewer people in number, others may have extended members, such as aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. 

There are not so lucky families; they may have blended members as a result of two merged families which they may not like at first, but must learn to live with together.   In some situations, children may have to live with only one parent caused by life loss or a separation.  Other times, children, for some unusual circumstances, must live with grandparents or relatives, adoptive families, and foster homes.  Whatever the grouping, families help each other, share daily life events, and work together in different environments.

My own family began as a nuclear unit.  It was especially blessed with innocent play, family life free of stress, and fun times with neighborhood friends.  Later, my grandmother lived with my parents and siblings.  Her presence brought lots of exposure to various extended family set-ups.  Then, at some distant future, life challenges brought many complex changes, including break-ups and blending with new people.  Adjustment was definitely painful because adults sheltered my siblings and me on reasons and causes of the emerging shifts.  To my young mind, everything happened like a whirlwind.  It was confusing when it came time for moves.  At some point, I woke up living only with my grandmother and one of my brothers at a time.  I did not have time to process the unfolding events, but it was definitely heartbreaking and very confusing at age five.  The strange funny thing I learned from family life is that both departure and arrival of all good and not so good incidents equally mold us into the person we become.

Whatever the situation, adults and children are all parts of families.  And wherever they are in the world, all families experience joys and pains that groom everyone to weather individual weaknesses and strengths.  Family is where we all start the many journeys of our lives!