Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Family- Complex but Necessary

The word family according to Dictionary.com is defined as :
a. basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family.
b. a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for: a single-parent family. 
2.
the children of one person or one couple collectively:
3.
the spouse and children of one person 
4.
any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins: to marry into a socially prominent family.
5.
all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor.
 
I have come to find that family is defined by more than DNA. Family consists of those individuals in which we are connected on a deeper level. Some of my dearest friends have been "adopted" into my family. We defend one another, we challenge one another, we fellowship, we show concern, we are family. This past weekend, I spent some time talking to my mother. Our relationship is one that has often been strained due to circumstances and situations, often difficult, in our lives. Her birthday was Saturday and as I sat there talking, I came to the realization of how life comes full circle. The woman I saw before me had aged so much, as have I. She is a grandmother. She is no longer 30-something, not even 40-something. Where has the time gone? I am now 32 years old. I realize that my time with her is slipping away. My children are growing up. I looked at my teenaged son and realized he is almost a man. Boo-Boo is on the brink of manhood. We must make the best use of our time here on this earth. Love your family, love them hard. Some members of my family can get on my nerves, even the ones that have been "adopted" however, I need them. When the world is not so nice, and stress robs me of sleep, I can count on one of my loved ones to shake me back into reality and help me realize that everything will be all right- we just have to endure. I am personally going to hold myself more accountable for my familial relationships. Things happen, people screw up-deal with it. No one is perfect, not even me. We should not punish our family for their faults. We should confront the issue and move forward. No progression can occur without sacrifice.  Family is complex but they are necessary.
 
 
Peace & Blessings,
Andréa

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