The rules and roles of the family

     This week we talked about the family and the rules and roles that the family has. We talked about some unspoken rules and some important roles in the family. One of our unspoken rules in my family is when an elder like my grandma or grandpa walks in the room you move and give them your seat. No matter the age or rank in the family hierarchy. When they walk into the room you move and give them your seat. I remember my mom talking and teaching us that when grandpa comes in the room you give up the chair and the tv. This is just one of the family rules in my family, and this has been a rule in my family for at least 50 years. every kid knows it and every grandkid knows it as well.

    Even though every household and family has rules they also have roles. I think one of the best examples is my mom and her sisters. my mom Teresa has three younger sisters Penny, Jennifer, and Holly.

    My mom is the oldest of the four sisters in the family and her role in the family is keeping everybody is safe happy and she is also the visionary of the four sisters. If anything, medical or important happens in the family my mom is the one to take care of it. when my uncle had sepsis while hanging out at a family gathering my mom took him to the hospital and was the designated visitor in the hospital during this crazy covid time. Four years ago my mom and her sisters started an event decorating small business and out of the four sisters, my mom is the one who sees the whole event come together. The centerpiece is the colors the vibe of the whole event she just sees the big picture.

    Her sister penny on the other hand is the organizer. She takes care of all the bills and any financial situation with my grandma, and she is the one who organizes all the decorations and event things that we have bought over many years. We are a new small business, and we do not have a big trailer or anything to carry all our supplies to the venues and event spaces so instead, we pack up four different cars and empty the four cars, and somehow everything we need is packed neatly by penny so that we have everything that we need the day of the event. She also organizes the house that my grandma lives in and her house that she lives in and usually during the summer she will go and visit her other siblings in different States and help them organize and declutter their spaces. she really is the most organized one out of the four sisters.

    My mom's third sister Jennifer is the one that gets stuff done. She has five kids, and she is a kindergarten teacher. She is the one that gets things done on family vacation she well talking with and conversing with her sisters is the one to get everybody up dressed organized and ready to get in the car by a certain time. My mom makes the big picture plans penny organizes everything that we need to do, and Jennifer gets all the kids ready in the cars and off to the adventure. She is super hard working and has been teaching kindergarten for about 20 years. She just got offered a new job as the district kindergarten advisor for a whole school district where she lives. She is over about 15 schools and is the head kindergarten director for the district. She is going to get stuff done in that district so that the kindergarteners can start off their school year and school career on a good note.

    My mom's last sister Holly kind of fills in all the different gaps. she is a little bit quieter than her other sisters, but she is really the one in charge. being the youngest I guess she gets that privilege. while working at an event Holly is the one to direct and organize everybody in their place time and what they need to do. Usually, we do events of 10 to 14 tables and about 8 chairs per table. right as we get to a venue, we set up all the tables and Holly is the one to direct and place all the tables while some people-covered chairs get decorations out and start covering the tables. She is the one that organizes where things need to go and how the event is going to look after everything is set up and ready to go. and even when my mom and her sisters were younger these were still those same roles. their jobs in the family have not really changed over these many years and I do not see them changing soon.

    Every family needs these special roles so that everything in the family moves smoothly and swiftly just like a well-oiled machine. if you ever see her family out in public it seems a little chaotic with 17 grandkids and 6 original children. but we all get it done and we have lots of fun when we are all together, so I guess in the end these roles in the family really do matter.