The Family under Stress

Each family faces their own unique hardships, and each family reacts differently to opposition. I appreciated this weeks lessons because they made me appreciate my family and our ability to cope with major obstacles that have been put in our path. In class, we discussed different things that families can do to prepare for the inevitable stress that they will undergo. We also discussed different coping methods and techniques that families can use to deal with stressful situations. We discussed some possible situations that might cause copious amounts of stress such as death, infidelity, and divorce. I concluded that in order to successfully endure such trials, a family must develop healthy habits before the trial occurs. Such habits might include open communication, frequent interaction, honesty, and centering their families in faith. 

While learning about families under stress, I found myself frequently reflecting on my family's past hardships. When I was fourteen years old, my father passed away unexpectedly in a car accident. It was interesting now to evaluate the way that each individual dealt with the situation, and how my family overcame it as a whole. Our situation was obviously very stressful. It was absolutely heartbreaking, but because of habits that we had previously developed, my family handled it better than I ever would have expected. The time that we spent as a family before my father died helped us to all grow closer as a unit. Because of such unity, we all felt comfortable leaning on one another for comfort and support. We always practiced open and frequent communication. Because of this, I felt that i could talk to my mother and siblings about the feelings that I had, which helped tremendously. Because my mother and father had established a Christ centered home, I had a firm testimony in the plan of salvation, knowing that I would see my father someday. This was perhaps the thing that brought me the most comfort during such a difficult trial. Such reflection made me appreciate my mother and father even more than I already did. Because of the healthy habits that they established when they were first married, their children were blessed during a trial that could have ultimately torn us apart.