La Familia

Families are people who are bound to you by blood whether they like it or not. These are supposedly people who will stick by you when you are at the lowest point of your life and will understand you when you are at your worst behavior....Ha! tough luck! The truth is, since they have no choice being affiliated with you by blood, makes them both ways -- either the strongest ally you can have or the strongest enemy.

Let me tackle the negative side of this first...

In family squabbles over the most trivial things, from the inheritance shares, properties, business or to the simple hurts due to jokes or tactless comments, often the ones who pierce our hearts the most are the ones from families. I believe this is so since they are those people that you expect to be there for you and understand you no matter what..but then, let us never forget that like you, they are also people..and as such, open to the same mistakes and imperfections as we all have. It is in these imperfections that I think we should accept that there will be times that they will not deliver on those high expectations we have of them. In the event these happens, it would be nice to have good friends around to catch your back. 

But despite having bad seeds in your tree, never forget that whatever happens, however mean they have been to you, they will still remain part of your family and therefore related to you (malas mo naman! hehe). So don't be quick to spite them or speak ill of them, since once the squabbles are done, and you are in good terms with them again, it will be too late to take back the bad things you have said. Remember the saying "don't wash your dirty laundry in public"? well it is very applicable to a family member even to a spouse or an in-law. Since everything about them might actually reflect back to you (just hope that you don't look like them..hehe). In the midst of these squabbles, never ask the question "Whose side are you in?" to a family member, since ideally a family has no sides but sides only with what is right and good. Maybe it will help if you think of them as being flawed and have imperfections same as you. So it might help you understand them a little better.

On the other hand, if you are truly blessed, you will find that in your saddest moments and in trials, you can rely on your family to be there for you no matter what. These are the type of people who value the true essence of being  kins and not just because they are your blood relations. They accept you even if you look like  Cofradgia or you often act like Cruella. They are at your side during your MMK moments when the boyfriend dumped you for a better looking girl or when you just got fired or stuff such as that. So be thankful if you are a part of a kinfolk who value each member and live the true meaning of being "family".

Celebrate families! We are lucky to have them, make them feel blessed for they have you as well. :)