Hey everyone!
So I was looking back through the notes to see what I should blog about and I came across the part about structure vs. function and content vs. process. This was always something that I was aware of, but I never really realized how important it was to distinguish between the differences. My family is very small since I am an only child, so I always assumed that there wasn't a lot to analyze when looking at my family. However, now that I know a little more about the importance of function and process I am realizing that my family is much more interesting than I thought.
Last year I lived on my own for most of the year, but this semester I'm living with my parents again to save money. Our family structure hasn't really changed, but our functions are quite different now. Technically, we are three adults living in the same household. My parents still care for me more than I do for them, but we all share responsibilities. We all take part in household responsibilities and we all treat each other as equals. My parents understand that I am more self-reliant than I was two years ago. Also, my dad is having hip surgery this month so that will most likely change the functions in my family. My mom and I will have to take on more responsibilities as caregivers. Our family has typically been capable of working through obstacles quite effectively so hopefully our successful process methods won't change anytime soon.
This insight has helped me to better understand that families don't have to be traditional to be successful. Just because I family has experienced death, divorce, or opinion differences doesn't mean that they can't have a strong relationship. It is important to look at the 'how' and not just the 'what' when trying to decide what makes a family successful, or what needs to be worked on. I also can't wait to explore more about the interactions between family members when we do our genogram projects!

-Michelle