I recently had to write a paper about family in a class I am taking to learn to be a counselor. I enjoyed reflecting on the definition of family and I wanted to share. I like that this blog can be my sharing space. Reflections, ideas, pictures, thoughts, most (maybe all?) of the time not perfectly put together. Writing is a stress reliever for me and a way for me to put my thoughts into action. It helps me process emotions and facts and God's Word and what it means. I want to write and be vulnerable even when my thoughts aren't completely formed or tied with a pretty bow. Life is messy and thus this little space should reflect that :) So here you go, a little bit of my world to share.
In being asked to write a
reflection on my life and my family, I have had to ask myself some important
questions: What is family? Why is family important? How do we define family? As
a student of counseling, these questions intrigue me.
The themes of the 2009 movie Zombieland came to mind for me as a place to start. The movie
revolves around four survivors of a zombie apocalypse who take on a variety of
challenges and make their way across the United States in search of an area
that is zombie free. The main character creates life rules for “survival”
throughout the film. I know what you must be thinking- what in the world does
this have to do with family? Now, I don’t want to ruin the movie for you (you
should definitely see it) but it is the end that seals the deal for me. The
main character reflects on what he has learned through his journey:
“That face. That's me realizing that those
smart girls in that big black truck and that big guy in that snakeskin jacket,
they were the closest to something I had
always wanted, but never really had. A family. I trusted them and they trusted
me. Rule #32: Enjoy The Little Things. Tallahassee got his Twinkie and even
though life will never be simple or innocent again, as he savored that spongy
yellow log of cream, we had hope, we had each other. And without other people,
you might as well be a zombie”.
It seems strange to find my answers in a zombie film, but sometimes in life I find answers in strange places. I love Zombieland's view of family. You see, none of us were meant to live life alone. Family is the place where from the moment we are born, the people around us teach us about the world. We grow and change and mature in our families. We experience joy and pain and the daily ups and downs of life. We are held accountable for our actions through our families. We get to laugh and cry and take on marriage and death and eating and resting and illness. We take care of each other. As Zombieland states, "I trusted them and they trusted me". The word "family" is going to look different for every person. For some, it may be the three other living people in the world. For others, it may be step siblings or foster parents or single moms or cousins; anyone who helps us take on the world with courage.
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It seems strange to find my answers in a zombie film, but sometimes in life I find answers in strange places. I love Zombieland's view of family. You see, none of us were meant to live life alone. Family is the place where from the moment we are born, the people around us teach us about the world. We grow and change and mature in our families. We experience joy and pain and the daily ups and downs of life. We are held accountable for our actions through our families. We get to laugh and cry and take on marriage and death and eating and resting and illness. We take care of each other. As Zombieland states, "I trusted them and they trusted me". The word "family" is going to look different for every person. For some, it may be the three other living people in the world. For others, it may be step siblings or foster parents or single moms or cousins; anyone who helps us take on the world with courage.
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