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Importance of family relationships essay
Importance of family relationships essay
Importance of fAMILY
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How does one define themselves? Do you define yourself by nationality, occupation, and race or perhaps by your family ties? Everyone has multiple facets and to define oneself by just any one of these is to do an injustice unto yourself. The “hats” you wear define who you are and, at times, you may wear one hat or several hats depending on the situation and surroundings.
In forty-five years, I have worn numerous hats, many of them worn briefly and then set aside on the shelf. The experiences gained through them become an integrated and permanent part of me, contributing to who I have become and of whom I will be in the future. Therefore, I must acknowledge all of these hats, for without them, I would be a very different person.
Family is the beginning of everyone’s journey in life and is probably the most significant of the hats you wear. Everyone starts as either a daughter or a son. People are born with two parents, although some have only a single parent raising them. In either case, the lessons you learn from your parents will remain with you throughout your life. They are at the core of who you are and of who you will become. Even those who come from an abusive environment can take away valuable lessons, to make their life and the lives of their children better. No matter how bad or how good your upbringing, you will always be their son or daughter.
I was fortunate to have two caring parents to nurture me and guide me, not only in the beginning of my life, but long after I reached adulthood. They are the people I look up to, draw strength from and admire. I strive to model my life in the same manner that they have lived theirs, for they are decent and good people and worth emulating. Long after they have pas...
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...her son relationship turned into adult friendship. He respected me as an adult and a friend, often taking advice from me as readily as he gave it to me. His passing in July 2008 was very hard on my family and I. The strength of his memory allowed me to forge on and remain strong for the rest of the family. I placed both of their hats in a special place, their memories and our experiences together forever infused with me.
I have discussed many of the different hats I have worn, but not all. Each one is a sliver of my life, some larger than others. Separately, some they maybe the same hat you wear or have worn. People have many hats in common. When you add them together and combine all of their experiences, the result is unparalleled and complex individual. Who am I? How would I define myself? I am the sum of all of the “hats” in my life. I am Ed McElroy.
What the texts suggest about the relationship between how an individual sees themselves vs how the individual is seen by others, is through the concept of identity. An individual’s identity is shaped by many factors: life experiences, memories, personality, talents, relationships and many more.
Family defines people making them who they are. A person's family heritage, how their parents met and married, their parents’ occupations, their siblings, and their early lives play an important role in who they are and who they become. Every family is different and has different characteristics and members, but those differences are what make every family unique. Those differences combined with my family members’ experiences and the stories they have chosen to share are what makes this story exclusive to my family.
People identify themselves using not only qualities within them, but through culture and family as well. Through these few examples, it is easy to see some of the foundations that can foster an entire, complex identity. It is understandable how interesting and varied humans can be, drawing from so many directions to build who they are. Identity is not very complex at all, it comes through living day to day.
Among carpenters, it is a well-known fact that building a house upon a solid foundation is imperative. When beginning the construction of a home, the foundation is always the first step leading to success, for without it, the house will become unstable. During extreme weather, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other conditions, a slight fault in the foundation of a home will most likely guarantee significant damage, if not complete destruction. Similar to a house, a person’s identity must rest upon a firm foundation; otherwise, it may not be capable of withstanding the ominous conditions of the world. When trials and burdens threaten to crumble people’s identities, their foundations must stand their ground and overcome the various tribulations. Although there are billions of inhabitants of the world, no two people share the same identity; rather, each person has unique memories, stories, events, and artifacts influencing who they have become. Some people’s identities may reflect a difficult childhood of discrimination, poverty, and hatred similar to the one described by Malcolm X in his article, “Nightmare.” Other people may associate with Katie Pederson and her article, “Identity,” in which they are defined through a simple artifact such as an identification card. In addition, numerous unfortunate people may struggle from the devastating effects of memory loss similar to those Floyd Skloot experienced, and they are helpless as their memories and identity slowly slip away from them. Still other people may find themselves desperately searching for acceptance and identity similar to the homeless man in Gina Berriault’s article, “Who Is It Can Tell Me Who I Am.” Unlike the homeless man and Malcolm X, I was fortuna...
Every person has their own identity that forms who they are. Many people think that identity is a form of an ID, but identity is more than a collection of traits, skin or body parts. Identity is always a historical idea, but it is also a pattern for a way of thinking. After reading chapter 5 on “Identities and Perceptions,” I learned that everyone has multiple identities that are transacted through communication, but at the same time it also defines who you are as a person. Chapter 5 also demonstrates perception, which is someone’s perspective or point of view. For example, I describe myself as a “bi-racial young lady”; therefore, my perception is more likely to be influenced by my race or gender.
Furthermore, identity comes from how people choose to comprehend and perceive their own self. The elements of identity are limitless because you can choose to be whoever you want to be, despite the opinions of others. Thus, one’s identity tends to be unique, in a sense, compared to other
...can go through an entire lifetime and not really know how to define their own identity. In many cases people suffer through a great crisis to discover who they really are. If someone doesn?t know the meaning of their own identity, how can society apply a definition to the word? It leaves people to ponder whether or not there are some feelings and parts of life that simply cannot be explained. When defining the word identity scholars and common men alike must agree to disagree. It is a word so diverse in context that it is seemingly impossible to take it down to a simplified definition. There are some things in life that just aren?t meant to be completely understood, and one?s identity is among these things. Not until a person has a lived out their live could they sit down and tell you how their adventure has shaped them into the person they became in the end.
To me, family is the most important thing in my life. They always encourage me to be the best I can be and nothing more. A quote that I think describes family to me is one by Alex Haley that states, “In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, and bridge to our future.” Through the stories I hear from my mother and grandmother, I have a clear link to my families past and the generation of women that led to me. All the values these women held close to them throughout the years have led to the formation of myself and my values. Over the past three generations, the women in my family have overcome oppression. My mother, growing up in a time where women could never have aspirations to be CEO’s or politicians, somehow came out stronger. She saw what she didn’t want for her future, and jumped at the chance to start a new life in America. No single model of family life characterizes the American family, despite ideological beliefs to the contrary (Andersen). My family couldn’t be labeled an “Italian family” or an “American family.” We are a mix of the two cultures and ideologies, which is what makes us different. I am the first women in my mother’s family to be born and raised in America. My great grandmother had a complete different childhood and adolescence experience than I yet we still have a common cultural base. All her ideals were passed onto my grandmother, than all the down to me, a hundred years in the making to become who I am
Our parents work hard to get us where we are today. Due to the fact that my parents had lack of education and there English wasn 't that good they wasn’t able to get a job that was more relaxing. Though they work in company only they were able to earn enough to raise all of us. Through nurture, now that I’m older I don’t exactly see all the struggles that my parent had gone through to raise me, but I do see and understand more about the struggles. Their love for us, nothing can compare to it. Seeing what my parents had gone through and how hard they have work inspired me to work hard, go to school get a good job so in the future they can depend on me and just rest.
In today's society, with the advent of modern digital communication and an increased focus upon global society and diversity, humans have a golden opportunity to evaluate themselves and how they identify both individually and in their broader culture. Although the question of “who am I” is perhaps one of the classical questions of the human cognizance of identity, our identity as both groups and individuals is directly related to the culture we are a part of, especially in regards to whether that culture is determined to be individualistic or collectivist. These differing mindsets have an inherent connection to the way that we view ourselves and the impact of interactions between different cultures.
What is a family? A family is two or more people consider themselves to be blood related, or related by marriage, or adoption. Our families are who we love. We as families look different in so many ways. A family’s caregiving unit might have a couple, a mother, a father, and children. A family could also be a single parent and child, a group of siblings, a small or large group of friends. A family defines itself in many different ways. Families are the foundation of how our society and how it works. It is how we come into the world and nurtured and given the tools that we need to go out into our world. We are both capable and healthy or not our families influence our lives either in a good way or a bad way. While families
"Family is not an important thing. It's everything.” This remarkable quote by Michel J. Fox should be the definition of family. Family is everything, they are our motivation, the ones that will love us when others don’t, and are the ones who stick to each other as gum when times get tough. Families have the most robust connections alive. These ties are so solid, and deeply intact that they can do everything and anything. These links allow a family to influence, shape, impact, and change one’s life. The intimacy within the family sphere, shape all who are inside it, this cannot be changed, and well anything that comes from within the family cannot be changed. The family itself can control and change our views on society, influence how we view the family unit, and yet most of all impact our everyday choices. The family’s capacity of guidance can make such an abundant shift that can only be felt, and barely visible unless seen through strained eyes, that makes this connection even more inexplicable than love.
Everyone seems to define family differently, however, the significance of family is the same. For you, family means everything. You can always count on your parents and siblings for help and love. Family is very valuable and important to you and should never be taken for granted. No one can deny that family is the foundation of our generation. A family is where we all start our life journey and helps us grow to be successful throughout our lives.
Everyone is born into some form of family, with the family taking the responsibility of nurturing, teaching the norms or accepted behaviors within the family structure and within society. There are many types of families, which can be described as a set of relationships including parents and children and can include anyone related by blood or adoption. Family is the most important, “for it is within the family that the child is first socialized to serve the needs of the society and not only its own needs” (Goode, 1982).
It is a source of comfort, support, security, and protection. Family helps make sense of the world by allowing one to feel unique and special and be encouraged to follow their dreams and to succeed at life. Families will experience life differently but it should be a safe place that opinions can be expressed openly and each member be made to feel important. While college will provide academic lessons in life, the lessons learned from family will directly affect one's personal values and behaviors. Every stage of life presents joys and challenges. Relationships teach how to cope with those joys and challenges and boost the ability to reach life