Central Support

Today my cousin leaves for his mission. He is a Latter Day Saint and is serving the typical 2 year religious calling most Mormon boys do at 19. He will be in Detroit without a cell phone, T.V, the comfort of family, or familiarity. I truly admire and respect his courage to leave home, and abandon most of the luxuries our society enjoys. LDS patrons stress the importance of family and that is a major aspect I have always appreciated of the religion. 

One of the amazing benefits of family I have found is the confidence you share with one another. Alex has told me he has doubts, and that he is nervous about how he will do, but also that he understands his purpose. I am not putting any religious proclamations in this post, I am simply trying to emphasize the importance of family to each person. Family is the one thing that can remain stable in everyones life. It also can be and usually is entirely different for all people. Personally I don't think family is limited to blood relatives or marriages. Other people I know put emphasis on their belief in a higher being as the predecessor of their genealogy. It doesn't matter what composes your family if you can reap the same benefits from one another. 

"Families are, or should be, a source of emotional support and comfort, warmth and nurturing, protection and security" (Schor). After talking to my cousin Alex about his mission last night, I considered my own fortune. I have learned to look inward for support, as your family is constant and other elements fade. 

Schor, Edward. "The Importance of the Family." Caring for Your School-Age Child Ages 5-12. American Academy of Pediatrics. 06 Jul 1999 11 Dec 2008. http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ1J60F79C⊂_cat=106.