Thursday 30 August 2012

Family!

The old saying goes - "You can choose your friends, but your family is thrown at you!" In 2012, family as an entity is as wide and varied as one can imagine.  I do not believe any group that identifies as family is any better or worse than the traditional family that identifies as Dad, Mum and the however many kids.  The most important thing with any family is that it is a unit that is loving and nuturing, whether it be a traditional family, a single Mum doing her best for her brood, Mum and Mum bringing their kids up in a happy well adjusted home or Dad and Dad doing the same thing.

Unfortunately, in a world where political correctness dictates everything that is said and done, this same treatment is not afforded to partners or siblings when families get into squabbles and relationships break down.  The saying that blood is thicker than water is simply NOT true and no rules apply.  We often treat complete strangers with more kindness than we treat members of our own families. Why is this so?  Rivalry, jealousy, greed and a 'no holds barred' approach to family members seems to be accepted.  This is not a new phenomenon and while past generations ran away and joined the circus, today family members relocate and begin a new group that they consider family.  A group that does not judge, that is loving and nuturing, can be a far better thing than the blood relationship that holds a fractured family together.

The human race depended upon the family unit for its survival. Families bonded together to form tribes that lived as a group which protected each other, hunted together and ultimately survived together. The extended family, that looked after the elderly, reared the young, played together, stayed together through good times and bad is a thing of the past. This is not necessarily a good or bad thing, it is simply different and like so many other aspects of society it is simply a quiet evolution.

What needs to be a revolution in amongst this evolution is the way we treat each other as family.  There needs to be respect that can only come from the treatment that is metered out to each and every family member. We need to respect each others differences, embrace these and not try to make everyone conform. The family unit has been part of humankind since the beginning, and will continue in one form or another until the end of time.  How well we survive within that unit is up to each and every one of us. No matter what form that family unit takes,every individual deserves to be nurtured in the bosom of a warm and loving family that they can trust and love with every ounce of their being. Any thing less, is a betrayal of the love that comes with being family.

At WinC Wrap in Cotton we have a product range that encompasses the whole family.  From the newborn taking its first breath to the Grandparents setting off as grey nomads there is a giftwrap suitable for every occasion. If we simply take the time to show our family members that they do have a place held very dear in our hearts then the family unit would flourish. Tell your family that you love them and give the gift that keeps on giving, wrap your gifts in cotton.

 “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.” -Richard Bach





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