The New York Times published an article back in March of this year regarding how the telling of certain family stories makes that family stronger and the children more able to cope with life.
The Family Stories that Bind Us
From a layman's perspective, I have to agree with the idea of needing to know about past family stories in order to feel connected as a family. Even though my extended family is quite close, there were aspects of life we did not talk about. Certain topics were off limits and not to be discussed in the open, or at all with the person it involved. It was like, if we don't talk about it, it never happened. I am not saying you should talk about past flaws all the time, but I do agree with the idea of saying at the right moment, I did this wrong and I've struggled to change, and would not make that same decision again.
On the other side of my family - I know nothing. I have been doing a lot of digging around to find out even just minor details about grandparents and cousins. Also, the stories that did make it to me did not leave my grandmother in the best light. (My grandmother died in a car accident before my parents even met, and then my parents divorced and it was my father's mother, so we only had very limited information.) I realize we are all human and make choices, but if all you ever hear about someone is the bad, it's very hard to form an understanding of who they were, and it does leave you feeling off in yourself. After all, I am 1/8 that person. Does that mean that 1/8 of me is whatever stories you've told?
We all come from a family. And as families continue to be bombarded by challenges to just stay together, it seems like sharing information about who your ancestors were and how they overcame, or didn't overcome challenges, helps to strengthen the current family.
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