Our Family

 

Or should I say our many Families?

 

What Does the Word Family Mean to Others?

 By

 

Zoom Logo on a multi-colored background

Issue 13’s Big Question!
“What does the word family mean to you?”

Jeremy Chriss headshot

To me, the word “family” means something very specific.

It means to be with people, who understand and accept you without condition.

A family can be a small group or a large one, who all support one another.

They will help you when you struggle and be there for you in trying times.

They also know you as a person; knowing your quirks and habits and how to manage them.

 

As a member of the family, you yourself also contribute.

If someone has a problem, you would do your best to listen to understand.

Give advice if they ask for it.

Usually, others are kind to you if you are kind to them. Blood relatives are commonly seen as a “real family,” but people from different races, backgrounds, and beliefs can also become one.

 

Jeremy Chriss
Jeremy is a 27-year-old alumnus from Marshall University. Diagnosed of having Asperger Syndrome, since age 10, he has always been involved with programs that help assist people with autism and other disabilities. He likes to reach out to people who are on and off the autism spectrum, seeking to understand them and their stories.

 


Brynn headshot

 

My family means the world to me!

I have autism and it renders me incapable of most everyday activities.

Some may take performing these activities for granted, but I am not able to do that. Until recently I struggled with communication, but now am able to use RPM to reach others.

 

My family supports me in every way possible.

They make sure my needs are met physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We are always going to performances, restaurants, and various social occasions together.

They never exclude me from events. The world might exclude me, but my family never does. Together we support each other.

Brynn Forstner
“I am 14 years old. I am low-verbal and have Autism. I have been homeschooled by my mother for about a year and a half. I have been using RPM (Rapid Prompting Method). for two years and it has changed my life!”

 


Heather headshot

 

What does the word family mean to me?

I am so lucky to have a very supportive family.

Great parents, an amazing husband, two awesome kids, siblings, and great friends and family.

Family to me is the people that I don’t have to pretend with.

The people that truly understand me.

Family is the people that love me unconditionally.

Heather Olivarez
Proud Mom, Wife, and Travel Agent

 


Ryan headshot

 

The word family is not easy to explain.

I have so many people in my life that I consider family.

I always have family around me since I have Autism and they help me communicate through RPM. It takes a lot of work, practice, and patience. I have the best family ever, hard to beat!

 

I have many parts to my family that makes it whole.

I have my immediate family of my mom, dad, and brother.

Then I have relatives and friends that I also consider family.

They all treat me like a regular teenager and always respect me.

All of them are so important to my life.

Even when they get on my nerves, I am lucky to have them.

I couldn’t appreciate them more.

 

I am pretty sure my family is far from normal, but I am so glad to part of this crazy family!

We are loud, happy, and really silly but that is just how we roll! Family is about loving each other no matter what.

My family is everything to me.

 

Ryan Shank-Rowe
“I am sixteen years old. I have Autism and learned to communicate with RPM (Rapid Prompting Method). I live in Centreville, Virginia with my mom, dad, brother, and dog. I like to hike and hang out with my friends.”


DJ Svoboda headshot

The Word Family Means a lot to Me.

It sure does Mean Lots of Love and Lots of Care for One Another.

No One Ever Gets Left Behind!
It means to Encourage and Inspire One another and show Lots of Love for Each Other.
It Means showing Great Support for Your Loved Ones who have Big Dreams and Help Encourage them to Dream Big and To Never Quit or Give Up be an Option.


It means to help Each Other to Believe in themselves and to NEVER be Doubtful or Negative about Yourself!
It means working as a Great Team to Help Each Other and to Never have any Limits to Great and Amazing and Awesome Things.
It means to show Lots of Kindness and to help each other know about The Power of Positive Attitudes and Positive Thinking.


Family Means Accepting Each Other for who they are.

For we all have things that we like and things that we don’t AND it means to always do our Best to be Very Honest with One Another in Very Polite and Very Kind Ways.


Family Means so Very Very Much and Family is sure Very Very Important!

 

D.J. Svoboda
D.J. Svoboda was diagnosed at the age of 3 with Autism Spectrum Disorder with psychomotor retardation which included speech delays and issues with his fine motor skills. He found it difficult to even hold a pencil. Today, D.J. is a dynamic, motivational public speaker, an accomplished artist, and author with three books to his credit; My Imagiville, The Mupperezmo, and the Rainbow, and The Inspirations of Imagiville.

 

How do you define family?

The above examples were diagnosed with exceptional life challenges, how can we as all humans get along?

 

Treasure time, treasure your family, treasure our World.

 

 

 

How Do You Define Family?

Family Counseling Orlando

 

Defining family can be a tough thing as the word “family” alone is a powerful word that conjures up multiple different meanings and emotions.

How does one put into words all that define how they feel when it comes to what family is?

 

Oftentimes people will say a family includes a mother, father, and children all living together under one roof.

Some might say a family can be anything that involves love.

 

Webster’s dictionary defines family as “a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.”

 

This definition is a good starting point when trying to define what family consists of, however, there are modern-day definitions that redefine what family is today.

Yet, do these definitions define what family means to you?

What comes to mind when you think of what family means?  

 

Whether it is a mother and father together, a single mom or dad with kids, or possibly your friends that help to fill the void that your biological family wasn’t able to fulfill, the word family is a powerful word.

 

These are people that surround you with care, concern, and love.

These are the people who see you, who understand what you are going through, and through it all, they stand by your side loving you through life.

 

But what if you don’t feel these warm feelings from your biological family or you don’t have that type of connection with your family?

Where do you find that connection, love, support?

Many people today are using the phrases, “My close friends are my tribe”, or “They are my kind of people” when describing close relationships that feel like family.

 

Sometimes our family of origin cannot meet the needs we so desire and that’s where our “tribe” comes in. People can often feel more closely understood by a family that they have chosen rather than the one they were born into.

That is especially the case if their biological family is dysfunctional or toxic.

A lot of times there are various reasons as to why someone would choose to call their friends more like family than their biological family.

Reasons such as family dysfunction, abuse, addiction, lack of boundaries, etc.

 

In an article written by Michelle Blessing on the “Meaning of Family,” she states, “Many people consider friends to be as close as or even closer than extended (or immediate) family.

People who have lost close family members may create a family unit of friends with similar interests and goals to become replacements or enhancements to a lacking family structure.

 

This type of family unit, while untraditional, can be just as close, if not closer, than a traditional structure. Friends are chosen by an individual; at times, these people may be more special or important than the family a person was born with.

In addition, some people who have supportive families also have an extensive network of friends who they consider to be a second family or as additions to their blood or legal relatives.

 

Family isn’t always being related by blood or even being related at all. Family can be your church, your friends, your close co-workers who have now become dear friends, etc. Also, don’t forget about your relationship with God.  

So whether the family is with the family you were born into, adopted into, loved into, or you have chosen, the word “family” alone has significant and special meaning.

They can evoke feelings of belonging, connectedness, love, respect, and support.

 

As Michelle Blessing states, “Whether made of blood relatives, friends, or pets or a combination of these, your family can offer you the support you need to thrive.”

 

 

What is the difference between rich family and poor family?

By tanxihua
 

Patricia Briggs, an American writer, said that when life doesn't meet your expectations, it is important to take it with grace.

When a kid is born in a rich family, it seems like that she or he owns the best things.

All these basic necessities of life are easy for the rich to get.

A rich family's children have a better foundation to make their dream come true and do what they want to do.

When students are going to have a long vacation, like a summer or winter holiday, a rich family's children will travel to places they dream about.

They have more money to party, shop, travel, go abroad.

Their tuition fees are more expensive than those for a poor family's children.

Their living expenses are more than those of poor children.

All their living costs are too luxurious for poor children.

 

While they are happy to play with friends and families, poor children might not have enough food to eat, clothes to wear, or anyone to care about them.

Poor children need to try their best to make a living.

They cherish every opportunity to study and earn extra money to help their poor families.

 

What’s worse, some children don’t have a chance to go to school, to see the big world or learn what about the things they are really interested in.

 

There is a real big difference between a rich family's children and a poor family's children. +

Some poor children have to drop out of school to earn money.

Due to lack of education and proper guidance, some of them may commit a crime, even committed suicide, or and become ill with some serious mental disease.

 

This big gap may cause an imbalance between children.

Sometimes, make a tremendous effort on one thing, but the result is disappointing.

They will make every effort to encourage themselves when poor children feel they lose hope.

 

When we meet difficulties, obstacles, setbacks, failures, and hardships, what we can choose is to face, to overcome, to get over it.

 

Many facts we cannot change, what we could change are our attitudes. Sometimes, we may lose our mind or our heart, just keep calm and make sure the decisions we make are right.

Society, just like a coin, has two sides, imbalance, and balance.

It depends on your thoughts.

The ways of life of a rich family's children and a poor family's children are extremely different.

The poor family's children would love to strive for their destiny and find the proper way to live.

 

No matter who they are, what they do, they just want to enjoy their unique life.

 

 

It was like this; you were happy, then you were sad, then happy again, then not. Like a lover, your life bends down and kisses your life.

 

Your story was this; you were happy, then you were sad, you slept, you awakened. -Jane Hirshfield, American poet.

 

The original blog: http://blog.chinadaily.com.cn/blog-1390906-21397.html