The Importance of Family

          Family. What does it mean to you? If you ask me, I would say they are the group of people that love you the most and care about you so much that they never leave your side. The function of family is to be there when nobody else is. They are the people that know you so well that they will love you no matter what. A family is a circle of strength, love, and compassion. Your family is not limited to your parents and siblings, but extends far further than that. So many families have step-parents, half-siblings, adopted siblings, and much more, but they don’t love each other any less than the next family. This just goes to show how family doesn’t have to be limited to your blood relatives. It doesn’t have to be limited to the people you share DNA with, or even the people you share a home with. It just has to be the people that you love and that love you. Now, this may be the polar opposite of your definition, which is okay, but think we can all agree on one thing- family has importance. There’s a reason they stick together and that reason is love. There are two pieces of literature that really speak to me about family; Stone Soup by Barbara Kingsolver and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

            In the essay Stone Soup, Kingsolver says, “Arguing about whether nontraditional families deserve pity or tolerance is a little like the medieval debate about left-handedness as a mark of the devil. Divorce, remarriage, single parenthood, gay parents and blended families simply are. They’re facts of our time” (Kingsolver 16). I agree with her view because these are things that aren't an opinion or a choice. They are bound to happen. There is no preventing it and there is no hiding it- these things happen. They should be tolerated for said reason. Whether a family is a "good" one or not is not determined upon who is in it, or what "type" of family it is. It depends on love. A family can be "broken" from society's perpective, but with love can be more wholesome than your so-called "ordinary" family.  Kingsolver also writes, “If there is a normal for humans, at all, I expect it looks like two or three Families of Dolls, connected variously by kinship and passion, shuffled like cards and strewn over several shoeboxes” (Kingsolver 24). Here, she references her paper doll family she used to play with when she was young. What she’s saying speaks to me. She perfectly explains the reason why a “normal” family doesn't exist. The idea that we all have in our heads of this cookie-cutter family of 4 is not very common. The truth is, many families have a twist, something that makes them different and special. It doesn't make the bond they have any less special, and it is so important to remember that. We shouldn't pity families different from our own because different doesn't mean broken- it means special. Each type of family can have just as much love as the next, and we need to recognize that.

            In the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Smith writes, “She [Sissy] listened to everybody’s troubles but no one listened to hers. But that was right because Sissy was a giver and never a taker” (Smith 101). This quote shows how people take different positions in family, and in this family, Sissy is the compassionate and selfless one who loves her family more than anything else in the world. Her family life hasn’t always been perfect, but nevertheless, she pours her unconditional love over her family. We also see an example of the importance of family when Neeley and Francie are discussing baby Laurie’s future. Neeley says, “Laurie’s going to have a mighty easy life all right.” Francie then responds, “Annie Laurie McShane! She’ll never have the hard times we had will she?” Neeley answers, “No. And she’ll never have the fun we had, either” (Smith 472). Francie and her brother have been through countless struggles together, including the poverty of their family and their father’s death, but the moments that they now remember the best are all of the good times they had growing up. They have had a good childhoods because they had their family with them. They do not have a typical family. Their father has passed away, and their mother remarried a man by the name of McShane. Although the children agree that no one will ever replace their father, they love and respect McShane. They trust him to help raise their little sister and provide for their family. Not to mention, a good portion of the time their Aunt Sissy was around to help them and almost act as a second mother to them. Their love spreads far beyond their immediate family. Even when something unfortunate happened, their loved ones were always there to guide and comfort them, which is the true function of family

            I suppose all I’m trying to say is that family is important. Their purpose is to love you, help you, and hopefully do it right so that you will grow up to do the same to your family. We must always remember the importance of family, because life without them would be very difficult and lonesome. In closing, be sure to always let your family know how much you love them. It's love that strengthens the bond.

          

This is dedicated to my family. I love you all.

XOXO -Amy

          

Sacredness of the Ordinary

  

Something that holds a very special place in my heart is my charm bracelet. To others, it  may seem like an ordinary bracelet but to me it is so much more. It belonged to my aunt Karen, my mother’s older sister. I’ve heard so many stories about her but we’ve never met. That’s because she died of cancer in the ninth grade.

I know that I never knew her, but I feel like I did. When I was younger, I didn’t know too much and I just looked over it like it was something that happened in the past and I didn’t feel a personal connection. But now that I’m older I see that what happened was true and real. It actually happened. It makes me sad to think about. It’s strange to think about what could’ve been if I had known her. It’s funny how losing something you never really had can take such a toll on you.

I wish I got to meet her. Sometimes I feel like it was the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened in my family, but that’s not true. The worst thing that could’ve happened would have been to not have had her in the world at all. I’m grateful for the life she had because although it was short, it had value. She touched so many lives and the joy she brought people throughout her life was much greater than the pain brought on by her death.

I also know that she is watching over me and my family. I remember that every time I look at her bracelet. After my mom had me, she became very ill. She prayed that Karen could be there with her to make sure everything went okay. On two occasions, she awoke to find a nurse by her bedside telling her that her name was Karen and that she was going to help her. This was just one of the times that she has watched over and protected us.

As important as the stories and thoughts are to me, it’s sometimes hard to remember all of it is real when she’s not physically here to remind me.  That’s why the bracelet has so much meaning. The five charms attached to the thick silver chain all have a story. The first one is a bowling pin, because she was on the bowling league. The second one is a baseball because she loved sports and was very athletic. She was the only girl on her little league team, and her coach always said that she was their best player. The third one is Santa’s face. This one was a gift. The fourth charm says “Athens” on it because our family is Greek. She traveled there once, and that’s where she got it. The last one is a sombrero charm that my grandparents got her when they went on a trip to Mexico. To me, this bracelet embodies her so well. After all, she picked out the charms. Knowing that she wore it and held it in her hand and that I can now do the same makes me feel a special connection between the two of us. It always helps me remember that even though she can’t physically with me, she is watching over me. I see so much sacredness in this seemingly ordinary object.