The Importance of Putting Family First

There are certain things in our lives that we can live without. A large house filled with items that have been collected over the years, a fancy car that can take us wherever our heart desires and a bank account so large that its contents cannot be depleted. But there are other things that are so valuable that no amount of money can ever buy and things that are so important that life would never be the same without them.

Whether large or small families are essential. Every one of its members are unique, special and irreplaceable. Although friendships are established throughout our lives they pale in comparison to those that have known us since childhood; those that we have created memories with. Although we go through ups and downs in our lives, one thing we can depend on is our families to be there with us and for us.

However, this isn't always the case. Some families are broken, detached or haven't the desire to invest in their relationships with each other. They find themselves content with not having contact with those that they grew up with. Whether it is because of a quarrel or a lack of concern with each other they keep their distance. The glue that once held siblings together has now peeled away. The tie that bound parents to their children has been removed and the yarn that once knitted grandchildren with their elders has been unraveled. What were once cherished relationships have now become a thing of the past.

There are many people that live their lives without an actual family. No parents, siblings, or grandparents to call their own. Many live in isolation without any relationships that foster personal growth. They are lonely; feeling uncared for and unwanted by others. They will never know what it feels like to call a woman their mother or a man their father. Some have grown up in foster homes or have been abandoned and if so they can feel unworthy of a family. They have a void that cannot be filled with the things that money can buy. Envy fills their hearts for those that have holiday gatherings, birthday parties and wedding celebrations. They would trade all they possess to experience the love that is shared in the family unit.