Family for me is a feeling of support, love and togetherness. It is the awareness that we are all interconnected and that we cannot survive on our own, let alone live in our fullest capacity.
Family for me extends far beyond my bloodline, even far beyond the borders of my country, in fact this planet.
Whilst there is a closer group of people that I consider my immediate family, consisting of friends and members of my bloodline, I do have a strong sense that family includes all of humanity and beyond, as each time I let someone new into my heart, I feel I have gained a family member.
I am aware that this is not how the word is used in society today. Whilst family is considered to provide a safety net and social backup, it seems just as often to be synonymous with permission to abuse and/or exploit each other. Our current use of the term family certainly does not include everyone but rather excludes everyone else that is not considered to belong, whether that idea of family is confined to my bloodline, my sports club, my religion, my friends or whatever other group of people I feel I belong to.
The underlying feeling or longing for a sense of family however, is something perhaps deeply felt by us all, hence why there are so many clubs, groups and societies formed in this world. We appear to have an innate longing or need to belong – a longing to be part of something bigger than just ‘me’. However, what I have observed is that when this is paired with a need to protect and defend one’s own ‘family’ it misses its mark and can be the underlying cause for violence, war and abuse. It leaves me wondering whether this is the reason we struggle to feel safe in this world in the first place.
So for me, family in truth also consists of a beholding quality that makes me feel super safe and supported, with no need to defend or fight for anything as everything is provided by those around me. It is not the sort of security we get through having insurance or contracts, but a deep knowing that whatever happens, someone will be there to back me up and support me through it.
In my view, when one day we understand and live the true meaning of family, then war, violence and abuse will be impossible and hence will cease.
