The Write Bond: Families are getting better

Happy February!!

This month's theme is "Families are getting better." One of my many prayers was answered during the holidays. For the first time in 20 plus years I was able to attend my first family reunion on my mother's side. Surprisingly, I didn't cry that day but it was an amazing feeling to connect and reconnect while learning the lineage of so many ancestors. In the midst of that joyous occasion, I agreed to help one of my cousins who is the designated planner for the reunion as the historical scribe by creating a website/blog to keep the family history and memories in tact for generations to come. It is an overwhelming feeling to know that in the midst of the many challenges/trials within my family that these moments are bringing us closer and our character and love for each other is strengthened. We as a people and family are getting better. What does family mean? Britannica.com defines the word family as, "a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The word 'united' and the phrase 'interacting with each other' stand out to me because a family can't exist if we as a people are not standing together through good or bad and forming relationships regardless if the persons are connected by blood, church, friendships, beliefs, etc. Because I didn't have close ties with family growing up, I've always considered my friends family because of the genuine love and concern that was shared. As I became older, I still wanted to know more about my family on both sides. As a fan of the arts, I was always drawn to movies and shows that examined different depictions of family and I had such a huge desire to still know my lineage in the midst of dysfunction. It wasn't until I began to be around my own family that I understood how our family evolved and dealt with many situations which explained some of my views and choices later in life. In discovering that, I realized that something has to change and it has to start with me and those in my generation. The family members who came before me have passed on and the ones who are alive don't have the energy to do as much as the younger generation. As a member of the younger generation, it is my duty to pick up where the family tree has left off and continue to carry the legacy. The same thing goes for our other families: church, friendships, support groups, etc. We must stay united and keep the interaction among our circles together to become better. As I close, I have a new acronym for the word FAMILY:

Fellowship
And
Memories
In
Love
Year-long

Just Write family, let's create those stories and keep the Write bond going. We as a family must get better.


In His service,


Lequvia Ousley