“Family is not an important thing. It is everything,” said actor and activist Michael J Fox. Family love is a blessing and forms the core of our existence. It teaches us to receive love and give back equally, if not more. We spend a lifetime nurturing familial ties and bonds that sustain us when dark clouds hover.Yet, family is also something which we take for granted at many instances. Still it embraces us back with love, affection and tremendous support. This strong love becomes the backbone of our existence.
Cherishing family love can fill you with elation and joy. Those staying away from families, like a student in a hostel or a couple living in a foreign land, can tell quite authentically what family love means to them. In fact, our family ties are so deeply entrenched in our psychology and behaviour that we manifest it frequently. We meet different people who influence us deeply as we grow up – friends, teachers, co-workers – but the fundamental unit of our society is the family and it always has a conscious or subconscious impact on us.
For instance, dont we always take note of family pictures shared on social media? The warmth of a family, of being there for each other, of the journey of caring for ailing members or the new borns, sharing joys and tears is the unparalleled beauty of having a family. A wonderful example of this is how a crawling child gets the confidence to stand and walk with the help of her parents. She knows that if she stumbles, either of the parent will be there to catch her.
We have the confidence that whenever we go through the troughs of life, our family will be there for us to fall back on. The warmth and care that we receive from our families lay the foundation for our future ties and relationships. The love that we receive from our mother, father and siblings instil in us the confidence and trust to make connections further.
Nowadays, we spend more time than ever glued to our screens and work commitments. Spending time with the family is becoming increasingly difficult. As work life balance is one of the most delicate aspects of modern urban life and one that effects our family connections too, we have tried to put the spotlight on the importance of cherishing and celebrating family love and its umpteen positive influences.
Motivates to get together
Most festivals feel incomplete without the family getting together. Even weddings in a family become much awaited mostly for the togetherness they bring. We cherish the catching up with family members and the reliving of shared childhood memories with cousins and relatives. Sometimes, planning a getaway with the family or even with cousins can be huge fun.
When family members meet after a long time at a function or occasion, emotions run high and fill the environment with happy sentiments and peals of laughter. Not only does the meeting or getaway give you a break from the daily grind, you also get to connect and spend quality time with the family.
Gives opportunities to connect
Many of us may have noticed the instant love and warmth we find when we unite with our parents and siblings – it makes the accumulated stress caused by our isolated technology-driven lifestyles dissipate. Indeed, family love is something that stays with us through life’s thick and thin. It is thus important to seize every opportunity to unite with them and celebrate the togetherness we have been gifted.
So try and take out time to experience the bliss of family love – it reconnects you with people you grew up with while giving you tremendous happiness, the kind only childhood connections can bring. It is like going back to one’s roots and reliving those innocent moments.
Even if you are unable to physically meet frequently, try to make an effort to keep in touch using technology and alternate mediums.
Reinforces the bonding
There is no denying that the support of family can pull you through when tough situations arrive. However, often, people are unable to maintain ties due to distance or lack of communication, even creating a rift. A simple initiative to meet or speak to family members can reinforce this bond. Arrange meet-ups or video calls with near and dear ones and experience a sense of security and belonging no matter which part of the world you are in. Family ties makes you feel wanted, loved and secure. Cherishing family love is all about reinforcing the warmth you receive.
Models healthy relationships for children
The time we spend with our familie have a loving effect not just on us but also provide a wholesome experience for our children. According to a Michigan State University report, ‘Children learn and imitate behaviours by watching and listening to others.’ This is also termed as ‘observational learning.’ When adults meet and celebrate family love, it profoundly impacts the child, who goes on to do the same. This behaviour lays the foundation for healthy relationships for children. A warm, loving and congenial environment where family ties are celebrated and cherished help the child grow into a confident adult who knows how to give and receive love.
Celebrating and cherishing family enables us to strengthen our emotional bonds and make memories for a lifetime. By spending time together and remaining connected, we strike powerful bonds with our loved ones, who always try to be in our lives when other factors tend to change. The time spent with our loved ones give us confidence and courage as well. These beautiful times put us on a firm ground to lead a blissful life of emotional stability by assuring us that there is always someone to fall back on or get a shoulder from.