FAMILY 2008

Rings of a tree. Each one marks the passage of four seasons or a year, as humans recognize it. A child steps from the water into a boat, joining her family. Her grandfather brushes her raven locks from her eyes, his hand steady in the moment.

Generations together meandering down the river. Our ideas about 'family' change this year. Looking for insights into family, we gaze further into the past. Traditional cultures from the Eskimos to the Incas provide models for role-playing. As we adapt and assume them the definitions we use to describe these roles -- and us as well -- changes.

Now we see two women raising a family and over there, two men. What we are realizing is that the definitions of family are fluid, but the sense of togetherness, of kinship is what is most important. Care we give back to our parents and grandparents and others in our lives. This becomes a central tenet of family life -- giving back.

The search for a life partner takes on significance this year. Within the context of creating a family, the emphasis focuses on caring and sharing: building a nest or cocoon, and surrounding ourselves with loved ones, be they siblings, parents, friends or pets (another way to say chosen family).

Empathy; engagement; unconditional love -- terms discussed between families, as the children grow. Embrace Adulthood; full of choices; spend time doing what you want; restrict nothing; obligations and barriers are not present -- mottos we share with the children we raise. Profiting from this togetherness, this redefinition of family, children grow further advanced than many adults in areas of knowledge. This is all part of letting simplicity guide them while taking part in 'lite' philosophical conversations around the dinner table.

Visiting therapists (for counseling of couples and families) becomes commonplace, and serves to resolve many obstacles that stood in the way of growth. "The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place," said George Bernard Shaw Arguments and discussions between couples and within families still occur, but filing for divorce and separating from one's family is no longer a knee-jerk reaction. Rather, difficulties between people are seen as ways to clarify points of view, grow mentally and demystify the amorphous term known as 'communication'.

That evolution involves how we see our lives in a broader way. Instead of working to earn more money and acquire more things, we take time to enjoy life for ourselves -- surrounded by close relatives (chosen family), all together like on a boat trip, enjoying Nature, creating joyful moments.

The chase for luxury items for the sake of what they represent is seen for the illusion it is. Yet the desire for durable-quality products and lifestyles becomes fashionable again. We're tired of mass-produced, break-after-second-use items. Awareness of ourselves and the world around us has given us a broader perspective, integrating now as part of our daily lives. We are becoming 'conscious consumers', and this is a beginning of a changing world.

Taking time and being more aware leads to the growth of the 'individu'. 'Have to' no longer applies, but rather freedom is found. What roles do I want to play? Independence, both physical and intellectual, among humans is rising -- specifically among woman. A global shift in equality between men and women, but also between all different cultures and religions is on its way. We will experience a sudden manifestation or perception of how we all belong together as humans on this planet, leading to an illuminating discovery of how our actions affect our lives.
This is the initial phase of discovering our essential natures! http://WWW.TRENDSLATER.COM

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[Truelove777]

That is a great right up on the rings of a tree. It has taken me over 20 years to figure myself out (inside and outside of my own family). Thank you for this enlightening video!