How each family functions is very
unique. For a project I had to come up with something that would show how I
think my family works. My immediate family consists of dad, mom, three older
sisters, two brothers in law, three nieces, three nephews, my husband, son, and
me. Figuring something out was hard but once I saw it I knew. This is what I
came up with:
Island Park is home for me. Where
the woods are my neighbors and my comfort, I find true peace here. As I looked
at the trees and how they stand so strong and beautiful against whatever
weather comes upon them, I realized my family is a tree. Like a tree, my family
started small with lots of harsh conditions but as it grew, we became a
marvelous system that is immovable in a world that wants to wash all families
away.
My dad is like the trunk. In a tree
the trunk provides two major functions. First, it acts as a support rod, giving
the tree its shape and strength. Second, it acts as the central “plumbing
system” in the tree providing essential nutrients to all the parts of the tree.
My dad is definitely the main support system in our family. Growing up, I could
go to my dad about anything and he would listen without judgement and offer
ideas of how to fix it when it was needed. It amazes me how well he understands
me. I can go into his room late at night to wake him up just to let him know
that I am home and just by hearing the sound of my voice he can tell that
something is wrong and is up ready to listen and support. In addition to
providing for our family emotionally, he has always provided financially and
made sure we had everything we needed and more. When all four of us girls were
in school needing money for sports, lunches, activities, braces, and much more,
he always made sure we had enough so we never had to go without.
My mom is like the tree roots. The
roots take up water and nutrients from the ground. They also anchor the tree in
the soil. Most mature tree roots extend twice as far (width wise) underground
as the canopy of the leaves above the ground. My mom takes education and
observation from the world around us and passes that on to everyone else in the
family. She has always gotten to far lengths to gain this knowledge to pass
onto us. When we were young this included staying up late to finish homework
that she was unable to do earlier because of spending time with the family and
helping us with our needs. Now that we are older she has taken this to new
lengths by taking opportunities that allow her to travel the world and experience
life in ways that we otherwise never would be able to understand. Currently she
is doing a short term assignment in Washington DC helping develop ways to
educate the public about renewable resources so that we don’t suck our planet
dry. By her doing all she can to learn and better our society, she is bettering
our family by making us more aware and giving us knowledge and experiences that
we would never have received otherwise.
All of us girls are like the
leaves. Leaves are considered the food factories of the tree. They gather
carbon dioxide, water and the sun’s energy to make sugar or glucose. All of us
gather different elements from the world and create different ways of thinking
to nurture our family. We all bring new knowledge and perspective to our family
but we also do much more than that.
My
oldest sister is like the crown. The crown is the leaves and branches at the
top of the tree. In addition to producing food, these leaves play an important
role in filtering dust and other particles from the air. They also help cool
the air by providing shade and reduces the impact of rain drops on the soil
below. Because she is the oldest, she has always acted like she has a
responsibility to take care of the rest of us. Growing up she was exposed to
many trials and raw, harsh truths about the world, but I never saw her share
this burden with anyone else. When I was around her friends I would often catch
her shushing them or stopping them mid-sentence saying that I was too young and
didn't need to learn that yet. At the time this seemed offensive because I
wanted to be just like her and seen as a big kid but looking back I know she
was just trying to protect me and allow me to be a little kid as long as
possible. She was always looking out for me and trying to catch the “dust” that
was blowing into my life.
My other sisters are like the
leaves on the farthest limbs. They both produce intellectual food that isn’t
part of our lives or even our immediate culture, and try to share this with us
all so we can grow. The second oldest creates a do it yourself attitude that
feeds us all with a desire to be more self-sufficient. She is always creating
and crafting things that make life so much easier for much cheaper than you
could ever buy them in the store. Whenever I ask for her opinion on a problem,
she almost always has a way I can solve it without involving someone else’s
services. Sister number three produces a knowledge of honesty that feeds us
with a desire to love ourselves for who we are and a desire to better our inner
beauty. She and I are only two years apart, so I have always felt closer to her
than my other siblings. Growing up I always admired her “don’t care what nobody
thinks” type of attitude and wished I could be as confident as she was. Now
that we are grown she has amplified this attitude by doing all she can to be
honest and real with herself and others. She says it how it is and most of the
time it helps everyone realize that we all suffer from taboo topics and if we can
talk about them we will not feel so alone on our journey of finding ourselves.
I am most like the leaves that are
deep within the canopy. I gather information and produce new knowledge and
points of view, as all of my sisters do, but I seem to do it from behind the
scenes. I have never enjoyed being the one in the spotlight so I try to stay
back whenever possible. I love standing
back and watching people as they interact and make connection and observations
quietly to myself. But as I make connection
and acquire information that would be helpful I try to pass it on in order to
help feed and build our family.
The husbands in our family are
definitely the branches. A tree’s branches are responsible for stretching out
as far and wide as possible to help the leaves reach the light. Branches also
allow a tree to have even more leaves than if the leaves just grew directly
from the tree’s trunk. The boys in our family are great at supporting their
wives and help our whole family grow to our fullest potential. Our children are
like the cambium in the trunk. The cambium is a very thin layer that is often
only one or two cells thick. It is a growth layer of the tree making new cells
during the growing season that becomes part of the trunk wall. It is what makes
the trunk, branches, and roots grow thicker. Not only do our children make our
family bigger, they also make our family stronger. They quickly become a vital
part of the family and make it so our family can never be the same.
What is your family like? Comment below to
share some more ideas.
No comments:
Post a Comment