My family is made up of many diverse individuals, and love is the most valued between us all. Growing up, I was told that blood is thicker than water, which means that family comes before individuals who are not related by blood. However, I’ve lived in NJ all of my life and my mother’s family is from North Carolina, and Connecticut, while my father’s family is from NJ: but I have never had a solid relationship with them. My maternal brother’s family took me in—before he was born—so I was accepted into their family. Most of the cousins that I am close to are the ones who are not biologically related to me. Also, we have neighbors who we have formed a union with, and we have always looked after each other and helped each other …show more content…
Through the first bond that an infant form, he or she learns that only certain individuals can be trusted to protect him or her from threats (Hutchison, 2013). Through the transactions that help create the bond, the infant learns to respond by smiling, clinging, and sometimes crying; Bowlby believed that the infant initiates the bond, but in later years the mothers strengthens it (Hutchison, 2013). I’ve mentioned the fact that my family is completely diverse, however, love is held very high between us all. My mother, nurtured me from birth, along with the rest of my family. But the fact that I saw that she nursed my grandmother through her alcohol addiction, my uncle through his opiate addiction, and other negative experiences, I then knew that she was my foundation, and the closeness and affection that is portrayed within the family is what makes us close. It was my mother who kept love flowing while the family adapted to different situations. My father was incarcerated many times throughout my childhood, but my mother would take me to the prison to visit. I enjoyed going to the prison to visit him; we would take pictures, eat junk food, and actually spend quality time together. My mother helped me adapt to the fact that my father was absent from my life, by allowing me to spend time with him, and giving me the chance to cope effectively with the new