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The 1Life Podcast with Behka White

Episode 65 - The Beautiful Tapestry of Family

In Episode 65 of the 1life podcast, Behka White discusses the importance of family history and traditions. She references research by Emory University psychologists Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush, which found that children who knew more about their family history had a stronger sense of control over their lives, higher self-esteem, and a more positive perception of their family's functioning. Behka highlights the benefits of sharing family stories, including negative ones, as they can foster emotional resilience and provide a sense of identity and belonging. She emphasizes that family traditions, whether big or small, play a crucial role in creating a shared history and culture, strengthening family bonds, and providing comfort and security. Behka encourages listeners to embrace their family's unique tapestry of experiences and traditions, recognizing that imperfections are part of the journey and contribute to a richer family narrative.

Duration:
3m
Broadcast on:
14 Sep 2024
Audio Format:
aac

In Episode 65 of the 1life podcast, Behka White discusses the importance of family history and traditions. She references research by Emory University psychologists Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush, which found that children who knew more about their family history had a stronger sense of control over their lives, higher self-esteem, and a more positive perception of their family's functioning. Behka highlights the benefits of sharing family stories, including negative ones, as they can foster emotional resilience and provide a sense of identity and belonging. She emphasizes that family traditions, whether big or small, play a crucial role in creating a shared history and culture, strengthening family bonds, and providing comfort and security. Behka encourages listeners to embrace their family's unique tapestry of experiences and traditions, recognizing that imperfections are part of the journey and contribute to a richer family narrative.

Welcome to the One Life Podcast with Becca White. This is episode 65, the beautiful tapestry of family. In the 90s, psychologist Marshall Duke and Robin Thivish of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, researched factors of resilience in children. A surprising find was that the more children knew about their family history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem, and the more successfully they believed their family's function. Duke said this, "Hearing stories about their relatives gave the children a sense of their history and a strong intergenerational self through the stories their identity stretched back up to 100 years, giving them connection, strength and resilience." So what stories can we tell our children? It turns out all of them. No matter who we are, if we go far enough back in our family tree, we will all have stories of oppression, tragedy, and overcoming extreme hardship. Those of us who are living are standing on the shoulders of great men and women. Duke said this, " Families often shield children from the truth, but negative stories can be even more important than positive ones for fostering emotional resilience." Apparently there are three types of family stories. Number one, the ascending one. For example, we built ourselves up out of nothing. Number two, the descending one, we lost it all. Or the most successful number three, the oscillatory one. We have had our shares of ups and downs. According to Duke, kids do not benefit from having a perfect family the same way they do from having a family with challenges. Stephen Walters, a family therapist, said, "We all feel stronger if we are part of a tapestry. One thread alone is weak, but woven into something larger surrounded by other threads, it is more difficult to unravel." Families come in all shapes and sizes in each with our own unique set of heartbreaks and triumphs. The good news is that there is no perfect family. Each family is beautiful and as unique as the individual members. The invitation today is to embrace your family in all its beauty and even ugly. Take a look at the tapestry that you are creating. Is there anything that you want to change? Is there anything that you want to add or remove? By connecting with our past, we can create a stronger sense of identity and belonging for ourselves and future generations. Until next time, keep living your best life.