The Power of Family Ties Brings Happiness within

You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. How many

Power of Family

times have you heard that phrase? And yet, one of the most powerful parts of our family is the fact that you didn’t choose them. They are our kin, whether we like it or not. Admittedly, it can be infuriating when your mother-in-law turns her nose up at the dust in the house, or your sibling calls in the middle of yet another crisis.

The problem is, we are linked to our family inextricably. Love them or hate them, we are destined to spend time with these people who are bound to us through our genes. We have their eye color, nose shape, and like it or not, probably some of their worst habits and traits!

There are so many movies and books which feature the pitfalls of family relationships. It’s likely that everyone we meet has some story or other to tell when it comes to their family. Our families are the people who frustrate and delight us at every turn, sometimes letting us down, sometimes making us smile with happiness, but always there.

I’ve been thinking about the value of family and some of the reasons why they are so important when it comes to bringing us happiness. The main reason, I think, is that families are kind of obliged to be there for you. Whatever you do, whether you broke your Mom’s favorite vase when you were a kid, or stole your sibling’s favorite shirt, you will ultimately, hopefully be forgiven. The phrase ‘blood is thicker than water’ is true. Our families are bound to us, through thick or thin. It’s rare that we get a divorce from them, and no matter how many arguments we have with them, we usually end up being forgiven and spending time with them again.

Can you remember when you were small, and your family was your whole universe? The people we grew up with shape our lives, sometimes influencing the decisions we make and why we made them. Would you be here as you are today, if it wasn’t for your family?

A friend of mine had a tough upbringing, and when she was 22 she decided to pick a new family. She found new parents, who fostered a host of kids. She was absorbed in to the thick of their dramas and events easily, and finally found somewhere to call home at that age. It just goes to show that we all need a family, and you don’t have to have been born with a great one to get the benefits.

My friend has become so much happier as a result of her new family. She spends Christmas with them, squabbles with her new siblings as if they had grown up together, and even goes on vacations with them. She gets funny looks when she introduces people to her parents, as she is tall and they are quite short. When it comes down to it, family isn’t about eye color or stature – it’s about having that bond with people who take you just as you are, always. When she got married, her new Dad gave her away, laughing as he did so. At her wedding, in his speech he remarked ‘She gave us no trouble at all as a child’. Only he, my friend, and her new Mom knew the humor behind those words.

Family holds one of the main keys to happiness within. If you haven’t been in touch with yours for a while, maybe it’s time to reconnect and let them know that you’re thinking of them. If nothing else, it’s good for us to have people around us that can laugh right in our faces, knowing we’ll still talk to them tomorrow!

Do you need to reconnect with your family? I’d love to hear about your family in the comment box.

May your family and you be blessed with happiness within!

Debbie