Family Communication: Paper One Korbyn Limber
University of Oklahoma Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding or most recently, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2? Well, I have a double dose! Having come from both Lebanese and Greek backgrounds makes my family big, loud, loving, Orthodox (religion that is), and most of all, irreplaceable! My heritage which is founded on my family values and strong faith seem to lend itself to family communication. Family rules, family rituals, and family stories are definitely a huge part of my life. My heritage is my life. It is centered on my family values and strong faith which are based on our family rules. According to Satir (1972, 1988), “…rules are an inherent part of family life” (as cited in …show more content…
108). I have numerous rituals in my family that bring us closer together. Christmas is a very special time in my house. In October, we begin putting up our massive Snow Village. This is a family tradition that has been going on since before I was born. We have special areas of Snow Village set up throughout our house. Some of these areas depict downtown areas, mountains, educational areas, neighborhoods, amusement parks, and even a New York City themed area. It is a tradition each year that our friends and family bring their friends to tour our Snow Village. I take real pride in showing it to others. Another Christmas tradition takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each year on Christmas Eve, my family and my uncle’s family take turns having dinner and opening presents at each of our houses. Both of our families join our extended family on Christmas Day. It is always a fun-filled day with a Dirty Santa gift exchange, and a huge delicious meal. One of my most cherished Christmas traditions actually takes place a couple of days after Christmas. My aunt, uncle, and cousins come from Dallas to Oklahoma City for a few days and during that time we take our “Annual Limber Family Limo Ride” to see Christmas lights. My family started this tradition in 2008 as …show more content…
Arnold (2008) defines family stories by saying, “…a family story, or narrative, can be defined as an account of an event or series of events involving the family that has significance to the family members” (Arnold, 2008, p. 110). All four of my great grandparents immigrated to the United States and came through Ellis Island. I have heard stories about this since I was a little girl, and have always thought it was very fascinating. My senior year of high school, I was lucky enough to go with my mom to New York City and visit Ellis Island for myself. I got to see my great grandparents’ names on the wall, and read the different accounts of people who had been processed there. It all made so much more sense to me after seeing all of it. My father also explained to me that our real last name was Limberopoulos, but since it was too long, and too hard to say, the translator at Ellis Island shortened it to Limber. It is funny to think that I could have been Korbyn Limberopoulos. These stories are a part of my heritage, and I will most certainly pass them on to my children and
University of Oklahoma Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding or most recently, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2? Well, I have a double dose! Having come from both Lebanese and Greek backgrounds makes my family big, loud, loving, Orthodox (religion that is), and most of all, irreplaceable! My heritage which is founded on my family values and strong faith seem to lend itself to family communication. Family rules, family rituals, and family stories are definitely a huge part of my life. My heritage is my life. It is centered on my family values and strong faith which are based on our family rules. According to Satir (1972, 1988), “…rules are an inherent part of family life” (as cited in …show more content…
108). I have numerous rituals in my family that bring us closer together. Christmas is a very special time in my house. In October, we begin putting up our massive Snow Village. This is a family tradition that has been going on since before I was born. We have special areas of Snow Village set up throughout our house. Some of these areas depict downtown areas, mountains, educational areas, neighborhoods, amusement parks, and even a New York City themed area. It is a tradition each year that our friends and family bring their friends to tour our Snow Village. I take real pride in showing it to others. Another Christmas tradition takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each year on Christmas Eve, my family and my uncle’s family take turns having dinner and opening presents at each of our houses. Both of our families join our extended family on Christmas Day. It is always a fun-filled day with a Dirty Santa gift exchange, and a huge delicious meal. One of my most cherished Christmas traditions actually takes place a couple of days after Christmas. My aunt, uncle, and cousins come from Dallas to Oklahoma City for a few days and during that time we take our “Annual Limber Family Limo Ride” to see Christmas lights. My family started this tradition in 2008 as …show more content…
Arnold (2008) defines family stories by saying, “…a family story, or narrative, can be defined as an account of an event or series of events involving the family that has significance to the family members” (Arnold, 2008, p. 110). All four of my great grandparents immigrated to the United States and came through Ellis Island. I have heard stories about this since I was a little girl, and have always thought it was very fascinating. My senior year of high school, I was lucky enough to go with my mom to New York City and visit Ellis Island for myself. I got to see my great grandparents’ names on the wall, and read the different accounts of people who had been processed there. It all made so much more sense to me after seeing all of it. My father also explained to me that our real last name was Limberopoulos, but since it was too long, and too hard to say, the translator at Ellis Island shortened it to Limber. It is funny to think that I could have been Korbyn Limberopoulos. These stories are a part of my heritage, and I will most certainly pass them on to my children and