Is There Such Thing As A Perfect Family?

Have you ever dream of having a family that is different from your current one? Are you one of those who are fascinated with the idea of a perfect family? What is your idea of a perfect family and how you compare it with the normal ones? Every one of us has his/her own dream of perfection. We all have that dreams of what our ideal family life should become. When we see people who have better family lives and relationships than us, we may feel unsatisfied with what we have, get envious, and strive to mimic them.

I admit that I once had my own dream of a perfect family life. That is, my family dwells in a nice and peaceful house and that my parents don’t have to go to work. We all live peacefully and harmoniously without incurring any problems. We always love and care for each other. And we could also get everything we want by just one click as if we have unlimited money and resources. I know I had a dream which was hard, if not impossible, to achieve. It’s a bit frustrating that I couldn't get all I want. I also admit that I sometimes compare my own normal family life with some portrayals of perfect families that I’d seen on dramas/movies, celebrities and other famous and wealthy personalities that I know.

As I was browsing the net, I found a site called Families of Destiny containing an article which is written by George and Claudia Vorgin and is entitled as The Myth of the Perfect Family. I personally chose this article because, aside from it being related to my post, it had perfectly explained what I'm trying to explain.

Here is the screen cap of my favorite part of the article.

I really love the article and I love how the thoughts were expressed. It really gives enlightenment to the readers especially those who claim that there is such thing as a perfect family. Near-perfect family exists though but they are only few. Actually, it's just depends on how we describe a normal and a perfect one. A normal for one may be viewed as perfect by the others. As I age, I realized that it is not wise to spend my time in pursuing an unrealistic dream. I don’t want to waste my time running after the perfect family image which I’m longing to have in reality. Why would I strive to create that image only to realize that it’s impossible? I don’t want to create my own disappointments so I have to be realistic. Now, I am very happy and satisfied with my extended family. We may not be rich, we don’t own mansion/s, or we may sometimes have family issues but the love, respect, concern and other little things like having meals together, attending mass and hanging out somewhere together is what makes my perfectly good family.

There is no such thing as perfect family. And I believe in that. For me, a family is like a tooth. Although it may seem to be in a good condition in the eyes of other people but we don’t know that it is really damaged inside. A family may wear a mask and pretend to be alright when in front of people just to be called a perfect family. They may fool us but it cannot fool their selves. Moreover, getting along with your family without incurring any fights at all is impossible. No matter how good your family members, troubles/conflicts are always there to arise especially when you are always together. A common example of this is sibling rivalry.

Again, every family has its own problems, no matter how perfect they seem to appear. We wouldn't know the truth if we are just judging them at the outside. But if we put ourselves in their shoes, we would realize that they really have more problems than it seems. So in truth there is no such thing as a perfect family just like how no one is truly perfect.

In addition to the information that I learned, there are few questions that I would like to be answered. These are:

1. How do people define a normal family?
2. How do people define a perfect family?
3. How many people believe that there is such thing as a perfect family and how many people who do not?

In order for me to answer these questions, I should read more articles, blogs and other publications that can be found on the internet, books about family life and conduct surveys/interviews in my neighborhood.