Reflection Blog #7 Chapter 5

Reflection #7:

• What counts as family to you? Are there people in your life you consider family who are not necessarily related to you in the traditional sense?

Family to me is anyone who knows all about me and never judges me.  They love me even despite my mistakes I've mad.  There are some really close friends that I consider family.  Sometimes close friends are there for you when your blood family isn't.  It's the family that you choose for yourself.  Being a military family, we never live close to home so wherever we go, we have to make our own family.  People we can depend on and not fake.

• What do you think are the most important functions or roles of the family and why do you think this?

I think the most important functions and roles of a family are people that stick together through good times and bad.  It sounds cheesy but you have to have those kind of relationships in life or it will be really depressing when things don't go so well.  Let's face it, bad things are bound to happen which is why you need family beside you to cheer you on and be a shoulder to cry on too.

• As we've learned from Bronfenbrenner, families are parts of communities and as such, families are influenced by the surrounding community. How do families affect communities if at all?

I think families can have an affect on the community.  For example, living on base with all the other families gives us a real sense of community.  Especially living out here in Twentynine Palms which can be very lonely.  Most of the families I have come across are so welcoming and loving which makes the community such a positive one.