Importance of Family

Family is important to all of us. It's what keeps us, well us and the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn  by Betty Smith and Stone Soup by Barbara Kingsolver illustrate it very well. The function of family is to keep you sane. To hold you up when there is no one there and help you through life decisions. They are the ones that put you first and keep you on your feet. My family is my backbone, I don't know what I would do if they weren't here.

In Stone Soup, Barbara Kingsolver talks about her idea of having a perfect family, "I started out like any child, intent on being the Family of Dolls" (Kingsolver 10). My family isn't perfect but I love them unconditionally. It doesn't matter how broken the family is, there will always be a strong bond. There is no such thing as a perfect family because no one is perfect. As we get older we start to realize this. When we are younger we always have this image of living in a nice house with your flawless family but its not even close to the truth. Our families fight all the time, whether you like to admit it or not. We sometimes see our parents fight as Barbara Kingsolver says, "every happily married couple I know has loads of irreconcilable differences" (Kingsolver 12). Yeah we have arguments but even at the worst times we know that they love each other. It's okay and healthy to have your own opinion on something.

Your family will always accept who you are and support you. It doesn't matter if your gay, bisexual, divorced, or your 12th marriage, they will never leave your side. If they accept you, you also have to accept them for who they are. In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn it says, "“All of us are what we have to be and everyone lives the kid of life it’s in him to live. You’ve got a good man, Katie.”,“But he drinks.”, “And he always will until he dies. There it is. He drinks. You must take that along with the rest.”" (Smith 102). Sissy tries to explain to Katie that she needs to accept the way Johnny is because that is just Johnny Nolan. Yeah so what, Johnny drinks? You cant change him for yourself. Also in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Francie says, "he bandaged the arm. The cloth smelled of Johnny, warm and cigarish. But it was a comforting thing to the child. It smelled of protection and love.” (Smith 149). Johnny may not be perfect, but he loves Francie, and that is what truly matters most to her. Francie looks besides the drinking problem and looks at the real Johnny. The one who cares for her and calls her Prima Donna. If you truly love and care for someone, then you can look besides their flaws and mistakes and see the real them and love that.

As I said before, family is what keeps you grounded and makes you feel safe and sound. Family will always be around when the ones that you thought would always be there aren't. Family is loving someone without doubt and with your entire heart. My family is what makes me, me.