All families have histories and practices that define them. In my family, the major theme is peace. Peace in our home is a result of holding on to Christianity and upholding Christian values. This genogram depicts family relations of being close to one another. My family members maintain a healthy relationship with one another and believe in God at all times. A major intergenerational trend in our family is the ability to be decisive and to remain work-focused. We have a belief that through God we can achieve anything. My family members put God first and also work hard to attain their goals. This is why many in my family we have achieved great success and continue to live happy lives ( Mullins, 2016) . I have personally grown in a Christian home where Christian values and hard work are very integral in our lives. Besides being focused at work most of my family members seek to find a balance between work and life. The closeness in my family is a result of the ability to keep in contact, spend time with each other, and also highly value the family.
As a Christian family, our family has rules on how to live our lives. These rules are aligned with being respectful and upholding Godly values. The qualities of emotional ties are strong and vary from the interrelationships of one person to another. There have been quarrels in the family but my family ensures any disagreements are settled in the best interest of the family. The men are closer especially on my father’s side and they have learned to survive and strive more in their lives to provide for their families. The ability of my family members to support each other and hold one another’s hand when striving for success is one major historic aspect of my family ( Clapp, 2003, p. 12 ) . These explain why as family members we have high regard for one another.
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My family has no myths and our grandparents are our legends. This is because they were able to bring forth a generation of people who are humble and always ambitious about their dreams. Each member of our family is a legend since their contribution to the welfare of the family is integral and we believe that each person has a major role in the family. My entire family functions out of love. I agree that there are differences among various individuals but the love of God keeps us all together. I have also researched and found out that my family is the most supportive. Based on God's teachings I have experienced and grown to know that every one of us is special and in this world, it's only family and God that one runs to.
The love shared in my family is also depicted by the ability to adopt others into the family. Those adopted acquire family names and are fully incorporated into the family ( Firmin, 2017 P.16). The ability of my family members to share much love is a result of the traditions and cultures of following Christ as an example. This is because my family understands God's existence and his intervention in our lives. Despite the struggles that my parents and their siblings have mainly experienced they believed in God to be their way maker. Gods’ purpose in our lives has been evident and I can also testify to the far I have come and the much I have achieved through the Grace of God. God’s presence in my family has been liberating. Through his teachings, my family is interconnected and his love has been evident over the years. I believe that the ability to overcome various situations is a result of God’s presence in our lives. God’s love has kept us away from illnesses and diseases and also enabled our family members to enjoy more years of their lives. Besides one uncle who was diabetic my family does not have problems of mental illnesses or any other health issues. My uncle was also highly taken care of by my family in ensuring the disease was addressed according to health care professionals' prescription ( Ahmed, & Yeasmeen, 2016 p. 104) .
I believe that the blessings in our family are because of God’s love and faithfulness. Faith has always been and will continue to be the greatest source of strength, love, and hope in our family. Through faith, my family has been able to raise and educate each one of us to the extent that they can learn. It is also through faith that my family has managed to maintain healthy relationships, achieved success through hard work, and learned how to be rigid in making their decisions (Bengtson et al., 2013, p. 15). For example when my father would say God will provide that was his last decision and that would actually happen. I have learned that through faith one can make the best decisions that you may even wonder about God's influence in one’s life.
My family has been the safest and most peaceful place since childhood. I have grown up surrounded by love and joy. I have been appreciated and accepted in my many different endeavors. My parents were strict in instilling positive values in us but we're the most loving people. They shielded us from any problems like bullying and any negativity in life. The taught my siblings and me the essence of being rigid and thus make informed decisions. They showed us our contribution to the family and society and thus built in us the values of affection and love. As a result, my siblings and I are very close and look out for one another as much as possible. The effect of living in a loving family helped me build my esteem and passion for people (Orth, 2018, p. 17). This is why I am the most outgoing person amongst my siblings. Moreover, I love to spread the gospel of God, and to do these I interact highly with so many people. My family experiences have been very beneficial in the decisions and purpose of my life. I have managed to be in a healthy marriage with two children. I would say that my Christian family highly molded me into who I am today. I believe I am a great parent to my children and desire to instill in them the values of love and kindness. I learned from my parents that the responsibility of bringing up a child should be embraced with so much positivity (YAKUPOGULLARI & YAGAN GUDER, 2020, p. 2 ) . This is why my parents strived to give us the best lives and always said that my siblings and I were the best gifts they received from God. I also strive to ensure that I take responsibility for my two children.
My parents' relationship was vital in my growing up. I would say that they lived their life with respect and love for each other. I remember no major conflicts and I believed that they used dialogue to air their issues. They would discuss something and when it came to disagreements they would settle on the best decision. They also were supportive of one another. My father supported my mother in completing her education a while my mother encouraged and helped him excel in his business. I believe that my parents’ priorities were to complement one another. This was also emphasized by the faith they shared. They would pray together and encourage one another in God's ability to bless them (Eichner, 2010, p. 24). My father was very protective of my mother and would thus ensure that he cared for and treated her with high respect. However, in the family, some conflicts led to divorces and separation in my aunts and cousins' relationship. One could tell that through their parents' separations my cousins and also a niece were negatively affected (Coleman & McCaulley, n.d., p. 119). I remember a cousin who was withdrawn completely and he only wanted to stay all by himself. He became aggressive and angry and was expelled in his school. Mfromfather brought him home during this period since the conflict between his parents made it worse for him to cope. He stayed with us for a year and went back to his mother. Till today he is still affected and angry about his parents’ divorce. Divorce causes negative effects on a child, especially where they experience any sort of verbal or physical conflict. However, my parents have brought us up to value, respect, and care for our family members and now that I have a family I aim to maintain the bond and enjoy the gift of life and good health from God.
The Unity in my family and closeness runs from one generation to another. Any events like birthday celebration or baptism occasions are integral and considered family matters. Childbirth among family members or any sort of occasion is fully embraced by all members of the family. I remember having most of my family members coming to celebrate my birthdays especially when I was young. All the relatives value each other and this has been shared mostly among those in the same age group. For example, my siblings and cousins come together to do anything for the family. Family weekends and holidays are very common in our family as they understand the importance of family. ( Driessnack, 2017 p. 435) . There even exist a family house where anyone is welcome to stay and where we all meet at least twice a year.
Through the research I have gathered, some of the family members have been advised but still gone on their own paths. However, the truth is the love in our family always makes them come back. Parents live is just like Gods love. That even when the children disobey God and parents always have the heart to embrace them back. The love of God shared in my family is also the reason why as siblings we love one another despite the small fights we had as children. The position in my family is rewarding, as the oldest I have the responsibility to guide and be a source of motivation and inspiration for my siblings. I am always happy to be useful to not only my siblings but to the entire family.
Through the attributes of working hard and being decisive, my family has helped me have a positive attitude towards life (Jack 2003). I have an approach to life that with God I am able to achieve anything I aim for. I have also learned that family is one of the places that you should give selfless love without considering anything in return. The family members are the only people that will always be attached to you due to blood ties. Therefore it is best to invest love and peace in the family as it is soul-fulfilling. My family's being grounded in Christianity has greatly helped in the formation and maintenance of good relationships. The broken relationships are mended and since love is enough for everyone we are able to spread it to others through adoption.
It is a belief in my family that working hard has many rewards. As a result of my hard work and determination, I have already acquired an Associate Degree and a Bachelor’s degree. My chief goal is to further my studies and also empower myself financially. I am working hard in God's faith to also fully invest my energy into the ministry of God. This is a calling I have received from God to continue spreading the gospel and share the love of God. Moreover, I am also ready to work in accordance with God's will. I believe that each person in life has a purpose and I am ready to accomplish my purpose. I also want to ensure I maintain a healthy lifestyle in all areas such as nutritional health and mental health. One thing I fear most is to go against the principles of God. This is because I believe that if I went against God's teaching I would be a negative example to my entire family and most importantly to my children. I also fear being a failure. Like most members of my family, we have built an internal structure that our lives are aimed at greatness. Another item I fear most is pride; I know that being proud is the beginning of anyone's downfall (Denton, & Uecker 2018, p. 5) .
Today I am the person I aspired to be as I was growing up. I thank God for the successes in my life and believe He is preparing me for a great and fulfilling life. What I would love to change in my life is to increase the bond that exists in my family. I would love to be the source of inspiration and hope in my extended family. I would love to have the ability to hold and support most of the family members and help them succeed in their lives. I want a prosperous family with innovative and brilliant minds which I am sure I will achieve over time. My marriage partner is the best friend I have in this life. As friends, we have overcome difficult moments and shared great moments too. Having a best friend in your family is the best thing to do in one's life together we can share and understand each other's families and aim to make each other better. If I were to die right now I would tell my partner and best friend that through God's love everything is possible.
Family is an integral aspect of one's life. Through experience, I believe that the relations in my family and the interactions have given me some of the most important lessons in my life (Montville 2016 p.242) . My family has helped me mold my life and I have acquired the values that govern my life today through the family. I believe that my family is the most precious and I will guard it and protect it in all ways I can. I will also use my experiences in my family to offer guidance to all I interact with so that they can value and embrace their families as it is essential. Families should learn to protect each other and support one another at all times. Parents, children, and all relatives should play their roles in each other's lives. I believe that despite personal differences families should be the source of strength to all people. If families continued to share love unconditionally cases of suicides, and drug use would be limited. I believe that my family members will always love and support me all my life. I also look forward to enjoying my life with family and God being an important aspect of our lives.
References
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Coleman, M., & McCaulley, G. (n.d.). Divorce: Effect on children or the family. Encyclopedia of Family Health . https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412994071.n119
Denton, M. L., & Uecker, J. E. (2018). What God has joined together: Family formation and religion among young adults. Review of Religious Research , 60 (1), 1-22.
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Montville, J. V. (2016). The moral ties within the family of Abraham: A primer on shared social values in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. journal of ecumenical studies , 51 (2), 245-256.
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YAKUPOGULLARI, A., & YAGAN GUDER, S. (2020). The role of parents' empathic tendencies in children values acquisition. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research , 20 (86), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2020.86.11
