It's a Family Thing

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family:
Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.--Jane Howard

Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.--Thomas Moore


People are lucky because there's this thing called family. Then again maybe some people are luckier because they choose not to have anything to do with their families. I think not and yet either way...a person is only lucky because he chooses to be. It has been proven that no matter what you do, you will still go back to your family.

Being the eldest, I have particularly seen my own family at its best and worst. It's a love and hate relationship for me but at the end of the day, I choose to love. Thinking about having my own family is scary and exciting at the same time. It's a constant sifting of which values to uphold, which traditions to remember, or what things must be thrown out. But how does one adjust to a new family given marriage for example? I know for a fact that when my mom married my dad, she became a new woman by adapting to the ways of my dad's family (which is not bad at all). Is that going to happen to me once I change my surname? I don't know. Maybe not or maybe yes but most probably the important thing to worry about is the family that I'm going to build.

Today, it's harder to marry at a young age since it's tough to raise a family. Some might marry but won't have any kids until after a few years or so. Our helper at home has 6 kids and she barely even earns minimum wage and yet she seems happy with her life. A friend of mine has been married for 5 years, is living a comfortable life but still has no child and has been wanting one. The fact that I'm even writing about this means I'm thinking already of having one but only when the right time comes.

Perfect timing to have one would probably be when I can sleep at night not having to worry about what my child or children will eat the next day, or whether we can send our kid to school or not, or better yet, whether I can give him/her the best things that life has to offer---and I mean not just material things but emotional, intellectual, and physical support.

And though it's a bit scary to jump into the water, when I feel right about it, I'm gonna go ahead and dive. I guess right now the greater goal is to earn enough money because it sure is hella expensive to raise a family. Believe me, I know...my dad has gone bald because of it!