Not Being There for Each Other

Card 17

Family Relationships

With all that we are occupied with, we tend to undermine our family relationships and put them on the back burner. Here, we try and remind you of the importance of your family, the problems you may be facing in this regard, and some simple ways of strengthening the bond that you have been ignoring for a while.

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. -Richard Bach

Every now and then, you need family relationship quotes like these to remind you of the value your family holds in your life. Though family relationships are based on the strongest bond you could probably forge, they are equally sensitive. The bond of parents with children, of children with their siblings, among extended family, are all important family relationships that need to be nurtured with time and effort. It is this lack of time and effort that results in, sometimes minor and sometimes major, family relationship problems. The meaning of family gets altered, the strong bond weakens, and if not taken care of, withers away into nothingness. Here, we try and understand this sensitive bond and the problems it endures, and ways of strengthening family relationships.

Understanding Family Relationship Problems

What is the meaning of family? Why is family important? Let's try and understand all this, here.

Taking Family Relationships for Granted

The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you. -Kendall Hailey

The biggest problem that affects family relationships is the fact that they are taken for granted. 'She is my mother, so she will cook for me', 'He is my father, so he will pay for me', 'He is my brother, so he will stick up for me', etc. are all thought processes that signify you are taking your bond for granted, and that your meaning of family is that only they should be there for you, irrespective of whether or not you are there for them. It also signifies a lack of respect and value for all that you are being given without being asked for anything in return. But remember, every relationship is one of give and take. Though parents' love is known to be unconditional and that is what you have been taught all your life, there is something that they expect out of you. It may not be materialistic, but just simple appreciation of the fact that they do so much for you. Similar is the case with your siblings. Taking any relationship for granted, be it one with your family, one with your partner, or with a friend, is one of the biggest mistakes all of us make at some point in life. Every time such an instance occurs, your relationship will be affected, and weaken over time. So show your appreciation every once in a while, say it or express it with a gesture, but do it. It keeps the love alive and the relationship strong.

Not Being There for Each Other

No success in public life can compensate for failure in the home. -Benjamin Disraeli

The second biggest problem that family relationships have to endureis the lack of time for each other. You are probably so caught up with your work, your social life, or yourself, that you have no time to bond with and understand the importance of family. This is in fact, a very serious problem, because there have been disastrous cases of children having the worst childhood, simply because their parents did not spend enough time with them. They grow up with bitter feelings in their hearts, and blame every negative instance, or attribute that they possess, to the fact that there was no one to teach them the difference between the right and the wrong. Some children have the maturity to understand the issue and deal with it, others don't. You definitely don't want to be one of those parents. Also remember, that if you don't teach your little ones the value of spending time together as a family, as they grow up, they won't have enough time for you. That means when you are ready to listen to them, take care of them, and simply be there for them, they will probably have found another shoulder to cry on and another person to share their happiness with. This is probably when you will feel most regretful. Even spouses face the problem of lack of time for each other, and this results in serious relationship issues, such as emotional cheating, infidelity, and divorce. The fact that you promised to share your lives together, no matter what, is completely forgotten, and a bitter battle of words and emotions takes its place.

By Puja Lalwani
Published: 10/23/2010

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 986