2/ Family
This Blog post is all about how to maintain and grow healthy relationships with your family.
Family is everything. Who knows you like your family? Probably not very many people. Family is there to pick you up when you feel down or need a helping hand and to celebrate that wins and joys of life with you. When your family might have too much going on to do the above, friends that are like family can always step in. Whether your family is blood related or gifted from above, staying in touch and intentional is the best way to maintain and grow healthy relationships with your family.
My immediate family is considered big by today’s standards. I have four siblings. We grew up pretty close and the oldest three of us pretty much all had the same friends. Weekends in high school were fun because we would all go out together. At first we didn’t want to, because we naturally gravitated towards different groups of people, but our parents made us so that we could watch out for each other when we went out. Now that I am a parent, I get it.
Once high school was over, we all went to different colleges, so it was harder to hang out all the time, though we kept in touch over the phone. We were able to explore our own individual interests separately and make our own friends. The best part about having a big family is coming home for the holidays. It is like a big party having everyone reunite and also having friends come visit the house at all hours to say hi.
Now that we are older and our lives are so busy with our own families (two of my siblings are married and have at least one kid), it is harder to stay in touch, but that makes reunions that much more special. Adding new members to the family is so fun! The more the merrier is definitely my philosophy when it comes to family. I definitely want to grow mine.
Staying in touch and intentional is not always the easiest thing to do, especially if you live far from your family or if your family member does not want to reciprocate. In my experience, I have learned that it is best not to force relationships and that some relationships just happen more naturally than others. After I graduated from high school, I moved to Atlanta for school. There, my friends became my family, and even more-so when I moved to Los Angeles after law school. I am still friends with people from those stages of my life, but the people I talk to everyday are my blood-related peeps.
What happens when your actual family is not supportive or doesn’t want a relationship with you? Been there! In my case, I turned to God. God is the ultimate family-member. He never ever judges us or leaves us and somehow He finds a way to get those grumpy family members to come back around with time. Just “Let go and let God,” as they say! Staying in contact with God through prayer or meditation is a life-saver and keeps me grounded. I highly recommend it.
2/
Family
I think the year 2020 really helped a lot of people put their priorities in order. People really got to know their families again, or at least yearn for them, if they were far apart. As much grief as that year caused. It also created and enlivened family connections. I know for me, it made me want to start a family of my own. I was so over the stress of work and just trying to survive. I wanted to create something that would really last. A legacy, if you will. I thought to myself, “Will anyone care about my studio and how much I worked in 100 years?” The answer was pretty clear. Starting a family creates a legacy for yourself (generations are created when you put family first), as well as continues the legacies of your ancestors. That’s powerful.
