The Stories that Bind Us

"The Stories that Bind Us" was an article written for the New York Times by Bruce Feiler. The thesis of the paper states that knowing about your family and your family history makes you more resilient. There are different kinds of family narratives that are commonly used in a family structure. The first is an ascending family narrative. This is shown in the song "Started From the Bottom, Now We're Here". This is when the family says that they started with nothing and grew into the family structure that they have today. The second is a descending family narrative. Where they say that they used to have it all, but descended into the family they have today. The healthiest narrative according to Feiler is the oscillating family narrative. This narrative mixes the ups and downs of the family's history. They are very insistent that they got to where they are today by having strong family bonds.

I am very lucky to have a strong family. I was able to answer all the different questions on my family history. I know that my grandparents grew up in Springville, UT. My parents went to Springville High School where they met in a math class. They were high school sweethearts and went to many dances together. A horrible event that occurred in my family was the death of my grandfather when my mom was 14. He was lost at sea. I know that I was born on a Wednesday morning at 8 o'clock and that I was born with my eyes open.

My family has always been an incredibly important influence in my life. I know without a doubt in my mind that I would not be as resilient as I am today without that strong stability. They have been there in the hardest moments of my life and have been the rock that I've always known I could rely on. Having a strong family structure, and knowledge of where I come from has led to who I have become. Building a strong family structure is probably one of the most important things we will accomplish in this life.