My Family Culture

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture. 

This took some time, but I finally have come up with my three items that I would bring:

·         Copy of King James’ Bible; to continue to read and praise my glorious God

·         Photo album; looking at pictures of my family brings me a sense of hope and joy

·         Credentials; I worked very hard to get where I am and I take pride in my work.  Hopefully this would assist with working in this foreign land

I hold my faith in Jesus Christ to a level that I do not demonstrate to others often.  I attend church often and pray every day with my family.  Having a copy of the bible with me for some reason assures me that my faith will never guide me down a difficult path. I was brought up in a home that did not speak of or encourage the belief in a God, but I thank my husband and our friends for introducing me to word of God. 

My photo albums are just a reminder of the joy we had in our home.  Reminiscing about my family; the birthdays, vacations, sporting events, etc. are memories I never want to forget.  My credentials have nothing to do with my culture, at least I do not feel that it has any connection.  I have worked very hard to get to where I am with my education.  Putting myself on the back burner for my family has happened way too much; never realizing until I was later in age that in order for my family to have a better quality of life I need to better myself.  I have done so in the last ten years and I pray daily for all that has come to my family and I. 

If I had to pick only one of my items to keep, I would choose my bible.  That bible defines my family and I.  We stand strong with our belief in Jesus Christ.  My family culture is one that is not defined by what my family culture that I have created with my husband and children now.  I have traditions that we have adopted and some that I have not adopted.  This exercise has had me reflect on issues that I have not necessarily thought about in years.  If this was to really occur I am confident that I would still grab the items that I listed.