All in the Family
Jun 26th, 2008 by April
Relatives… you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Most likely, you experience both kinds of feelings at various times. As they say, you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. They are yours for life.
Whether it’s the aunt who constantly points out the weight you’ve gained or the father who keeps asking when you are going to get “a real job,” family can be taxing and, at times, downright stressful. Holidays when people get together with their families are actually the most stressful time of the year for many of us.
And yet, no matter how far we go or how independent we try to be, the connection between most people and their families is something that never quite dies. We tend to value them much more than we realize on the surface. After all, the most important moments of one’s life - graduations, weddings, etc. - are all shared with the family. They need to be there because on this planet, we are all in this together.
Some people find it interesting to research their families and learn about who came before them. This opens up a whole new world of context for those of us living in the 21st century. What made our parents the way they were? What did our ancestors have to work for and struggle with?
There seems to be an invisible tie that binds us to those who share our blood (and often, those who do not - families we carve out for ourselves). Try to remember that the next time your sister pisses you off. I know I will 