We all think ours is a little kooky and let's face it, they are. Families are your tribe. That nest of folks that you come from that know you, support you, love and challenge you. We love them for it. Spending time with family, through thick and thin, is a vital part of health, human connection and aging well, for all ages. Our connection with our kinfolk is really what we have in the world and part of our reasons for being here.

Family life brings us joy, triumph, blessings, courage and understanding. It teaches us that through each other, we take our place in the world. Our family health and history is interconnected too. For better or worse, we have some character traits and certainly genetic predispositions. This is history we need to be aware of for our best health and to prepare for conditions we may need to deal with for ourselves as we age.

The dynamic we experience as we grow within our families teaches how to plan, respond and behave. It makes our life experience meaningfull. It's how we compete. How we learn to fight for what we want and don't want to be, in every stage of growth. The biggest thing about your family is that we can never seem to drift far from it.

That's why having good communication, gratitude and sincere care for the members of your own family help it to be the place that gives you understanding when you need it most, compassion when you struggle and a bond of real belonging. Life gains deeper meaning when you cultivate the growth of the lives in your own family. Love blossoms when we know the exponential realms of what love is. Humility and acceptance for all in our family is the place where peace in the world begins.