This is one of a series of eight NebFacts, including two publications which introduce the series and provide a broader perspective. If I were to use one word to describe families, I would choose the word emotion.
Families are about emotion.
When you are focusing on strong families, you are talking about positive emotional bonds with each other. Back in the days when I was a family therapist, it often felt like the hair would stand up on the back of my neck as I walked into a roomful of family members who were angry with each other. The hostility seemed to give a dangerous electrical charge to the environment. Everyone could feel it. People in strong families care deeply for each other and let each other know this on a regular basis.