Family: A Beautiful blend of all

Parents, siblings, grandparents, uncle, aunt, daughter, son, friend, etc. are the various relationships we have, we form, and we maintain throughout our life. Family is an entity that constitutes people living together and shares strong emotional bonds. Family size and type may differ though. For some may have nuclear families, or joint families, or even blended families, that is, a couple, their children, and children from their previous marriages. Also, the family members are often categorised into immediate members, that is, parents and siblings, or distant members, like an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, etc.

Family is our own small world. Family is that comfort spot for us where we accept the way we are, loved for who we are, and protected from the ruthless world. It acts as a basic unit for teaching children about relationships. Basic life values such as trust, honesty, love, and respect are inculcated within children through family values and morals.

In the situation of crises and conflicts family comes together as a team and tries to resolve the matter as efficiently as possible. This team performance of the family leads to further growth and resilience of the family as a whole entity.

Thus, it is important that we hold strong, close, and emotional relationships with our family members. In order to have a meaningful and strong emotional connection with your family, it is essential to spend a good amount of quality time with them and have an optimum level of communication with each member.

Using more of ‘I’ messages instead of ‘you’ messages, because the message may not be conveyed properly whereas, ‘I’ messages help to correctly and efficiently communicate our feelings and opinions without disrespecting or disregarding others’ feelings and opinions. For example, “I don’t like all this fighting. It upsets me to see the two of you not getting along.” Rather than ― “What’s wrong with the two of you? You're making me crazy! Can’t you ever get along?”

In order to bond well with your family, it becomes to share and celebrate little achievements and moments. This helps the family members to realise that they matter to you.

Working as a team together is also a way to improve your familial connections. While working in teams, it provides you with a chance to subtly bring others shortcomings in a more tactful manner so that it does not hurt their feelings and the relationships aren’t harmed. It also gives you a chance to acknowledge their abilities and talents.

And lastly but not the least, extending your unconditional support to your family is what makes your family “your family”. Family is that part of our life who holds on to us from the very beginning of our lives and continues to extend their support and love throughout. Our achievements become their achievement, our loss becomes their loss, our happiness becomes their happiness, and our sorrow becomes their sorrow. They act as protective shields between us and the whole world. They act as a mediator when we enter the society as an individual. Thus, it is important to focus on your familial bonds because in the end, they are all you have and it is important to cherish them.

Written by:

ANJANI SHARMA (III YEAR)