What Is the True Meaning of Having a Family?

What is the true meaning of having a family? Growing up I always knew that having a family meant having a father, mother and siblings. Being born in Fiji I grow up in a family where my father was the breadwinner, and my mother was a house wife. My sisters and I were brought up in a working class home. In Fiji nearly 80 percent of the families did the same. Where the father would be the bread winner and the mothers would be the house wife's.

Growing up i remember when watching television shows, and the families on the shows, compared to mine family were so different. Being raised in a Fijian and Indian home is so different than a traditional American home. The culture is so different. The rules I was grow up with an American family wouldn't follow. When going to school in Fiji the teachers were our mentor, and they had the right to hit us. We never talked back to the teachers, and high respects for them. Going to school was a privilege, not given.

When migrating to America and going to school. I realized how much freedom was given to the students. The teachers weren't respected or even looked up to. In Fiji students would be scared if they got into trouble or even got sent to the principal's office. Here kids that get into trouble have pride in themselves, if the trouble they got into would give them honor.

The society, and the families were so different then what I was used to. When I would do something bad or got in trouble I would get hit, but here parents sent their kids to their rooms. American kids got grounded, where a Fijian family didn't have grounded in their vocabulary. When turning 18 in America kids were known as an adult. They have the right to do as they please. Moving out, going to college living the dream, but in my family being a girl you didn't really have that much freedom. Being a girl meant becoming responsible and learning how to take care of the family so when you get to the age of marriage you would be a good house wife.

Learning how to cook all types of traditional Fijian foods, an how to act like a young lady when having quest over. This also meant not only being prepared physically but mentally.

Growing up with traditions and culture, but also becoming mature before age. I remember comparing myself to my American friends and how mature I was. I would show respect to elders where my friends would call them by name. In America children learn that calling people by their name is respect. Where I was brought up different, ever since I remember i was always told calling elders by their name was disrespect.

Living in America almost all my life, I still follow my traditions and culture. Having a mother and father who are happily married 26 years and still strong I feel blessed. Growing up I have seen so many relationships around me. To me it doesn't mean being a happy family your parents have to be married. There are families that don't