Comments from our forums reinforce that notion. It's really a blessing for my kids. The neighborhood family has become our grandparents, aunts, and uncles. So not only am I a helper, but in a way I'm kind of extended family to these kids. That's why sharing meals and family rituals are so important.
People come together when they share experiences, knowledge, or just personal warmth.
Each time families come together for a positive activity, they enrich the individuals, and that in turn enriches the entire family. And since most social scientists agree that the family is the basic social unit, strong, caring families will result in strong, caring communities. Judy Tiesel's Family and Children's Service research project reminds us that strong families come in all varieties. She says that government, schools, and health systems must take this variety into account, and must think of each family as a group as well as a collection of individuals. Now that the definition of family has been extended well beyond bloodlines, each of us has a greater obligation than ever before to reach out to those around us - to share our strengths, be they mental, emotional, physical, material, or spiritual.