Family Matters . . .

Family. They can be an interesting bunch. As you move into adulthood and try your hand at life on your own, you honestly try not to fall into those pesky, habitual roles.

You know what I'm taking about? Don't you?
Those family roles, such as; someone's little sister, a daddy's girl, a mama's boy or be it the over-protective big bother.

And after some time, when you've decided you can make it on your own and have had some success doing so you begin watching your parents wondering who gave me this trait or which one actually is responsible for my charming personality. . .
. . . and then you have it, the answer to the age old question - is it nature or nurture?

Everything you are, your family ingrained in you. Ideals, morals, the good old family values have been instilled in all of us. Through encouragement, criticism and subconsciously mimicked behavior, we've become molded into a further extension of them.

The benefit:
We now have a dual effect on the world or in some cases a dual assault as we (hopefully) take the positive aspects of both, but realistically however; the negative attributes have to go somewhere and eventfully find a home in all of us.
And, yes we can pick out whose negative traits we've inherited as well (or was it the environment that brought them out?).

Ah, questions.

My personal opinion on the nature vs. nurture factor happens to change depending on what mood I'm in. With a Master's degree in Psychology, you would think I'd have a stronger take on that argument and some days I do. But not today.

Today, I'm trying to contend with family. Being snowed inside one's house for almost 48 hours (by tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.) has taught me a lot about them and also about myself.

Ideals
Families are a fortress
A place to hang one's hat
Always breaking bread together
A safe place, even during combat
Love exists within the struggle
Even if egos are sometimes fat
A place to come back to
Although reconciliations may fall flat
Reminders of who we are
And accepting our place in that