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A tight, supportive family can see each other through a lots of ups and downs. In my case, I am extremely fortunate to have two wonderful children, three sisters, a brother and both my parents. The whole family is tight and we rally for each other when need be.
When I was run over and ended up in the hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, the whole family pulled together to make things the best for me. First my sister Cathy took off work, hopped in her motorhome and drove down from N. Carolina. Then my daughter Lisa took off school and flew in from San Diego. Before Cathy went home, my sister Debbie flew in from Wisconsin. If my hospital stay would have been extended any longer, my dad was going to come down from Michigan, followed by my brother Jim from Texas. Those that didn’t come down provided whatever support they could to those family members that did come to Mississippi. When I was ready to leave the hospital, Cathy and her daughter Katie drove down to pick me up.
In the hospital, they were wonderful. They ensured I got the very best care, ensured my dog and horses were cared for, fended off the media, took care of my belongings, boosted my morale, took care of legal matters, etc.
A family should be like a well trained team of horses. Each member of the team should pull together to ensure the whole team gets where it needs to go. The family unit is the primary foundation of our society and nothing could quite replace it. When needed, family members should always pull together to help the others. If everybody is leaning into their collars, they can climb just about any hill.
In my travels across America I met both tight and loose knit families. Invariably, those that are tight were much better off than those that were not. They always knew that when push came to shove, there were other people they could always count on.
The Making of a Tight Family - It’s best to start when your kids are young and teach them to help and rely on each other, but it’s never too late to start. The best way to start is to give another family member a helping hand and explain that you are doing so just because they are your brother, sister, son, daughter, etc. If you have family members that are outside the family circle because of things they have done or because of some pride issue, pull them back in - you’ve only got one family!
I really don’t have to say it here; but, I’m there for them too!
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