The Importance of the Family

 I've begun some research about families lately for a couple of classes I am in at the university I attend. During my studies, I have come to realize how truly important and impactful families are to society in our modern world. The unit of the family has existed since the beginning of time. There is a specific reason for that. Families are essential for survival. Without them, we wouldn't have a sense of who we are and where we come from. Families play a major role in shaping who we become. Studies show that having a poor relationship with your family can make you sick and that having healthy relationships with families actually decrease the likelihood of death. There are countless research projects that have studied the effects of families in all aspects of life both as children and as adults. Some examples are studies that report that spending quality time with family can actually affect academic performances. Other studies show that family relationships are linked with an individual's mental health. These are important things to be aware of when it comes to the topic of families.

There is a big significance of these relationships. But why? Think about it. When a baby comes into the world what is the single most thing that helps its survival? Someone to take care of us and tend to our needs. But more specifically parents. We are dependant on our parents from day 1. Without somebody to love and nurture us we would not survive physically, mentally, and emotionally. We were designed as human beings to be together. Logistically speaking the human population would not continue to exist without the joint effort of one individual with another. This is not exclusive to the continuation and existence of the human race. We need others on many different levels. 

As I have reflected on my own life and my relationships with my family both immediate and extended, I cannot imagine a world in which I would live without any of them. I believe that families are a part of God's plan for each of us on this earth. Your family should be the people who you can turn to in your time of need. The people who love and accept you despite your flaws and your fears. They should be the ones to encourage you to grow and to become all that you have the potential to be. They are the ones to pick you back up when you fall down and to love you unconditionally. This is what families were intended to be for each of us. Unfortunately not every family exhibits the qualities of these ideals. There are many broken families in our world. There are many individuals who don't have an understanding of what healthy family relationships look like and feel like. So many of us have been deprived of these positive feelings and views of what family means to them. And that is exactly why we need to reinsert the importance of the family in our society today. 

My goal through this blog is to re-emphasize the importance of the family. This will consist of studies about what makes a family strong and different factors of how they are impacted in a variety of scenarios and studies. I know the value of my own family in my life. I know that without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I hope to help others recognize the value of their own family relationships in whatever way they look like. This may not be a cure-all for all the broken families in our world, but it may help each of us remember the impact we have on each other. We need others as much as others need us. I am excited to research more about families and their impact on each of us!

Until next time!

- Olivia