For all persons who are fortunate to be born and raised by a caring family, that family is what both what grounds and centers the individual. Throughout history and cultures, one has been defined by family. In India, the caste system, predominant for thousands of years, was such that an individual’s entire life, including occupation, place of residence, status, even those with whom one could interact, eat or marry, was established from the moment of birth. In many cultures, names derive from family: the European custom of adding –son (or –dottir) as a suffix, such as Ericson, Swanson, and so forth, and the Mid-eastern identification of someone as “the son” (ben, ibn) of his father (or daughter, as in bat or bint). Family has traditionally set the limits of what one can aspire to and what one can accomplish. Western ideas of self-identity and equal opportunity for all are more recent in time and impact. For me, and for many others throughout the world, family is the beginning, and the center, of daily life and future expectations, to some extent.
My home is in a small village in Saudi Arabia. As the middle child of three, including a sister and a brother, the expectations that my family places on me are perhaps affected by this status. I am not the first-born, so I did not have to break ground and represent my family in society for the first time; also, I am not the baby, so I was not pampered in a way that many youngest children is. I believe that my position as the middle child has helped me carve out my own identity, free from the burdens of being the oldest or the youngest. Our village is traditional, in that the family you are born to is of much importance in how people receive you initially. I am pleased that I have a hard-working mother and father, and that our family has a good name in this area. My identity is positively associated with my own family.
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"Family: The Beginning and Center of Life Experience".
Another aspect of family that plays an important part in my life, as it would in anyone’s, is the area in which the family lives. People learn to speak the language, eat the food, and perhaps practice the religion of their region. For me being a Saudi I am a native Arabic-speaker, but am fortunate to have learned English well through school. My diet at home is not the same as in the some societies. We do not eat fast food at home. My mother prepares simple meals according to the guidelines of our religious traditions. We avoid certain meat products such as pork. Meals are very important times for our family, as it is a time for us to come together and share what has happened to each of us during the day. This aspect of family life, I believe, is shared all over the world.
Religion in our country is handed down by family. We learn the importance of our heritage, belief systems, and prayer. Some families expose children to many religions and allow them to choose for themselves. In my village, it is expected that one will follow the religion of one’s parents. Prayer and worship are important and the male family members have certain obligations while the women have others.
Possibly because I grew up in a small, somewhat isolated village, my family has provided more in terms of recreation for me than for people who live in large, metropolitan areas. We did not have access to as many entertainment facilities as people in larger cities may; therefore, we spent more time with each other. Of course, we could see and experience what is happening around the world through the internet and other media sources, but I believe the location of my family has increased the amount of interaction that I had with them.
Just like any family anywhere, my parents want the best for me and my brother and sister. In our village, much of this depends on getting a good education. My family has always stressed the value of learning and studying, since I was a small child. Therefore, I have worked hard at learning, and believe this value, passed on from my family, will help me succeed in the years to come. Although my occupation is not dictated by the family into which I was born, my opportunities have been enhanced by having supportive parents, and the experience to travel to learn.
Some say that it is luck which family a person is born into, whether rich, poor, kind, neglectful, etc. If this is true, I am a very lucky person, because my family has always stood behind me. Although most people can expect support from their family, such is not always the case. I do not think that being born in a Saudi village has given me any advantage in this regard; more it is the result of the type of people that my parents are and the manner in which they have raised me, my brother and sister. We have been taught to value the feelings and conditions of others, and to be helpful and charitable when we can. These kinds of values are those that a family passes on, from generation to generation. They will affect the way others treat you, regardless if you are rich or poor.
Therefore, my family has been with me from the beginning. Perhaps due to where I was born, family was at the center of my growing up. I have learned most of what I know and value from my parents. My brother and sister were close companions, and we shared our concerns and helped each other. This is not unique to just my family, but I do believe some people do not have a similar supporting environment, or the extent of interaction with their families, that I have had. I do not feel limited by my family. I believe I have been encouraged, and what I accomplish will be due, in great part, to the influence of all four of my family members. Throughout history, family has defined a person’s role in society. For me, it also grants opportunities to define myself.
