Family Systems

     Everyone has the family clown, peacemaker, homebody, blacksheep, perfect child etc. It truly makes for an interesting environment. In my family relations class this week we learned about family systems. We learned how everyone has a role in the family. Each role contributes to making the family system function. We also learned how without each role the system would not function properly.
     I spent lots of time reflecting on my own family and how our system functions. My little brother would be considered the baby of the family and everyone loves to spoil him. My younger sister is the middle child and would be considered the independent one. I am the oldest and the oldest brother. I am considered the peacemaker and protector of the family. We all however are very funny children so the funny child role award goes to all of us! Together as the children subsystem the comedy is never ending. I absolutely love my siblings. My dad would have been considered the enforcer and my mom in my eyes was considered the "cool" mom. She always loved to spoil us and just loved us so genuinely. There was a perfect balance between my mom and dad as our parents. In our family it was very easy to see everyone playing their role. When someone in my family wasn't playing their role or when there was contention among any of us there was a disruption in our family system. And like any other family we had our fair share of sibling fights or arguments with our parents. Its all part of life.
      As we all grew older, we all tried more and more to not only manage our own family role but we wanted to help one another. As I continue to think about my family and how our system ran I think about how it would have ran had one of us just left or abandoned our family role. It would not have been the same. There would have been something missing. Something that would have placed a depression on the family. We have relied so heavily on another throughout life that we became the most loyal of teams. Learning about family systems really made me appreciate my family more and because of this I will pass this onto my future family!

My Life Long Best Friends

     Life is a long road full of hardships, success, love, anger, accomplishment etc. Its a road that I have found is not a fun one to travel alone. While at times the road of life may only allow one traveler at a time its always been the best when you have those life long best friends that will travel the road with you no matter what. 

     Hardships and family trials brought me, my younger sister Alejandra and my younger brother Nicco into a relationship so close that the only way to describe it would be the formation of becoming best friends. We looked out for each other, we loved each other, we protected each other and every time life threw something else at us we just grew closer making it harder and harder to be separated. As each year passed our friendship became more mature and we appreciated each other more.

     Point in life came where we had grown up to the point where we had to start taking different paths in life in order to truly live up to the potential we had all discovered in ourselves together. I decided to serve and LDS Mission and left to teach the Gospel at 19 years old. My siblings grew and changed while I was away and I came to the realization that when I was to return home our childhood would be over. The next chapter in life would begin. Thinking about this scared me a little but when I returned home there was that familiar feeling when I hugged both of them again. Childhood may have been over but that special friendship had not weakened even at the slightest. 

      Since returning I have began my college experience and I married my best friend. Every time we decide to come down to visit every minute is cherished as best friends catch up and spend time updating the life map together. I do not know if I could have handled anything in life having not had my siblings by my side. I am never lonely. Family has been the most sacred and important part of my life. I hope that when the day comes when my wife and I start our family that our kids will be just as close finding that love and peace that comes from having a close family. Family is what we have at the end of day. Not a minute should be taken for granted. Each minute should be cherished. My siblings will always be my life long best friends.

   

Introduction: Family 160

     I am excited to write about my views and feelings on such a tender subject as family. As a newly married Husband, I have come to realize how important the role of each member of a family is. I hope to use what I learn throughout this class in my daily life, as well as in my professional life after finishing school. I am currently studying to be a juvenile counselor. I hope to help adolescents from broken homes to not lose faith in family and in themselves.