Family Matters
Family Matters
Families are an important part of society. They not only teach us how to have close interpersonal relationships, but they perpetuate our genealogy, and help to give value to our self-worth and existence. As depicted in the Disney film “The Lion King”, the circle of life allows us as families to learn and grow relationships, and pass the knowledge we learned of the past and the present, to our future family generations, and to carry on our family name. Many would consider this the meaning of life!
Families do come in all shapes and sizes. My family of origin who lived under one roof consisted of two parents, one younger brother, and one older step-sister. This family environment remained stable throughout my childhood until age 10, when my older sister moved out to attend college. My younger brother and I remained in the household with both parents until I moved out at age 18 to also attend college. My perception therefore would be of a typical family of 4-5 people. Most families that I knew about during my generation would be about the same size.
Even though my father married and divorced 3 times during his life, it was more common during my generation of the 1950’s-1960’s, for families to stay together. My family was my father’s second marriage, hence my older step-sister. However, my father did not divorce and remarry until all my siblings had grown and moved out of the house. My parents were not the happiest couple; however I believe they consciously made a decision to stay together as long as their children were still in the home. I know my parents’ generation frowned on divorce, and my father had a stigma, especially in the eyes of his catholic upbringing, for multiple marriages and families. There seemed to be more cohesion with families when I was growing up than there is today.
This brings me to comment on how cultures have changed during my lifetime. I personally have never given much thought on the concept of the appropriate size of a
Families are an important part of society. They not only teach us how to have close interpersonal relationships, but they perpetuate our genealogy, and help to give value to our self-worth and existence. As depicted in the Disney film “The Lion King”, the circle of life allows us as families to learn and grow relationships, and pass the knowledge we learned of the past and the present, to our future family generations, and to carry on our family name. Many would consider this the meaning of life!
Families do come in all shapes and sizes. My family of origin who lived under one roof consisted of two parents, one younger brother, and one older step-sister. This family environment remained stable throughout my childhood until age 10, when my older sister moved out to attend college. My younger brother and I remained in the household with both parents until I moved out at age 18 to also attend college. My perception therefore would be of a typical family of 4-5 people. Most families that I knew about during my generation would be about the same size.
Even though my father married and divorced 3 times during his life, it was more common during my generation of the 1950’s-1960’s, for families to stay together. My family was my father’s second marriage, hence my older step-sister. However, my father did not divorce and remarry until all my siblings had grown and moved out of the house. My parents were not the happiest couple; however I believe they consciously made a decision to stay together as long as their children were still in the home. I know my parents’ generation frowned on divorce, and my father had a stigma, especially in the eyes of his catholic upbringing, for multiple marriages and families. There seemed to be more cohesion with families when I was growing up than there is today.
This brings me to comment on how cultures have changed during my lifetime. I personally have never given much thought on the concept of the appropriate size of a