Family- Beyond The Same Last Name

The word "family" covers a lot of territory

The word "family" covers a lot of territory. It might mean anything from a bunch of individuals that aren't related who use respect and care with one another, to the physical association of individuals because of their family members. Family can have both a good or bad connotation; obviously a family of the righteous can have different characteristics than a family of criminals. In this brief article, we will discuss family as it relates to lineage, with special emphasis on the bond between family members.

Everyone from parents to siblings to grandparents to distant cousins are included in the definition of the word family. Families vary in size and distance. Even with so many differences from family to family, one common thread can be commonly found in families throughout the world. This common thread is known as mental attachment.

At birth, we form an instantaneous attachment to our mothers. The bond with our father comes next, and as we age, we learn how to form stronger bonds with the other people in our life. The reason why babies form such strong bonds with their mother and father so quickly has everything to do with survival.

Some people argue that our closest relative is the monkey. Have you ever seen a newly born chimp? It clings to its mother with such desperation; the mother is always moving about, foraging, eating and swinging from limb to limb with her newborn in her arms. If an infant monkey wasn't as close to his mom, it would likely reach out to a different monkey right when the mom was getting ready to jump, and the result wouldn't be very good.

So humans rely on their bond with their immediate family to protect them and care for them as they age into early childhood. What is the implication for everyone else? Maybe you're already living on your own, but you still have the desire to reach out to your parents from time to time. It may be that you have a poor relationship with your parents, or one of your parents was never there when you were young. No doubt you continue to want to reach out and get in touch. This sense comes from our early time as babies.

John Bowlby, known as the father of the attachment theory, believes that the parent-child bond is the most contributing factor to a child's developing personality. In good times or bad, the bond between children and blood relatives is the glue that holds a family together.

So the next time you are sitting at the picnic table at your family reunion, watching Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Benjamin bicker about the potatoes, wondering why you came, think about how beneficial your bond with your family is. After all, who else will loan you a hundred dollars, albeit begrudgingly, the next time you are in a jam?

by: Joseph Rose.

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