It's pretty easy to define family as simply a group of people related by blood (at least from what i was taught in my secondary school at the time) but over time i've come to understand family extends far beyond the constraints of biology, location, or even situation. Family (to me) is a concept that falls within the lines of that homely, accommodating or comforting feeling, you know...that feeling you get when someone just gets you, or maybe for some reason seems to relate to your every struggle or need. If you're like me and you've ever felt such a thing amongst a group of weirdos or maybe with that special someone then this post is for you.
The wonderful thing about family is that you're always at home whenever you find yourself around them which is an amazing thing that everyone should have the privilege of experiencing, and a common truth that most people might be able to relate to is that with family comes the good and the bad. They're several times that i can recall when my family didn't feel like home and as well as times that i often felt like an outsider amongst those i considered family but in the end true family never gives up on family, and that right there just makes it all the more worth while to have family.
Now that we know my views on what a family is id also like to tell you what i believe the importance of family is.
1. FAMILY PAVES THE WAY FOR FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS
Its a common proverb in nigeria when someone says "charity begins at home". And what this means is that all habits good or bad begins from how you were brought up. The very first relationships a child has is with their parents and their siblings. be it healthy or not, these relationships provide a foundation or model for what future relationships will look like. It’s mostly not a conscious choice people make, but for better or worse, people often make the choices of life partners and friends based on how similar they are to their family. Family dynamics repeat themselves and helps one reinforce their beliefs about relationships and self.
2 FAMILIY CAN BE A GREAT AND IMPORTANT SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
In the high or low times, families can give the emotional support and encouragement a person requires to be okay or rather satisfied. It can be difficult to find purpose in adulthood and as such if person doesn't have a strong family, they’ll always be able to find the love and support they need. With their family behind them, a person will find the motivation and courage to succeed. On the other hand, if a person doesn't get love and support from their family structure, they’ll eventually begin tom feel lonely, detached and might in the end slide into depression. Though some people are of the opinion that they don't need support from anyone i think its only fair to say that the support from family hits differently from those of others.
** 3 FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS ARE OFTEN CONNECTED TO MENTAL HEALTH**
Studies have shown the importance of spending quality time with family, specifically eating together as a family. While families can still be healthy even if they don’t eat together every time, there is a correlation between this time together and the development of a young person’s wellbeing. In Pediatrics, one study discovered that kids who ate with their families regularly were less likely to show depression symptoms. On the other side, research shows that negative family relationships can trigger or worsen mental health issues no matter how little
4 FAMILIES TEACH IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS
Families are the first place where children learn how to control their emotions, understand how to properly interact with others, and communicate. It’s also the first place where kids learn about the consequences of their actions, either positive or negative. Parents are responsible for guiding their children, providing life lessons that will be remembered for years to come. These lessons create a big part of a person’s worldview and ultimately how they believe the world works.
5 FAMILIES FOSTER A SENCE OF BELONGING TO A GREATER CAUSE THAN ONESELF
Families are hubs of tradition. Many families pass on traditions through the years by sharing stories from the past. This creates connections with family members that aren’t around anymore. A person who grows up in this type of family may often feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. They’ll pride in being a member of a community that’s gone through hardships and triumphs.
Those are just some of the reasons why i feel family is very important.
Now it is with great honor that i introduce to you today my family
This is my biological family well at least part of it. I'd probably get destroyed for posting this but my love for this picture is too surreal for me to ignore. That right there is a golden picture of the two loves of my life my younger sister and my mother and as you can see i am surrounded by all this love that i don't care to admit to but none the less they're mine and i love them with everything in my being
This group of people here are a part of my spiritual family and as you can see we drip glory which though play a similar role in my life are different in their own special way. we are the new covenant family in the unec enugu campus
This right here is my academic family. As you may know i'm a student of architecture in the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC) and we over here at the department of architecture though having our different characters and abilities all come together as a single big academic family in the sense that we all share the same goal which is to leave this school before it kills us.
i've shown you my family and i'm happy to have shared what they all mean to me as a person. whats your story??