My Family Culture

                             By Lisa Martin

I was asked to tell about what three things I would take with me following a major catastrophe that would force me to relocate to another country.  I can only take three things that will remind me of where I come from and perhaps provide me with some comfort. I am assuming I will be separated from my family and will want to be able to look at a photo of them whenever I want. My first thought was to take my laptop which has lots of photos of family and friends, but I decided I only needed to take one family portrait. The one from my wedding reception before my grandmother, uncles, and aunts passed away, but it would be missing my niece who was not yet born. So in the end I opted for a digital frame containing photos of my happiest family memories, including Christmas as a little girl before my mother died.

The second item I would take is my Bible, because it is my faith that will see me through this ordeal. It will also remind me of my family and our strong belief in God, as well as how my ancestors came to learn about Christianity while being treated in a most un-Godly manner. I will be strengthened by the knowledge of how they suffered and persevered. I will remember getting up early on Sunday and going to church with my mother, and then having brunch at Mike’s diner. All these simple routines meant a great deal to me and remembrance of them will bring me great comfort.

The third thing I would take is my copy of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, because it is still the hope and prayer of my people that it will be fully realized someday. My family is very involved in civil rights and social equity. We believe strongly that if we continue to behave in a socially responsible and proactive manner, advocating for the rights of all, there will come a day when there is true equity for all.

As it turns out, in this hypothetical situation I am not to be allowed to maintain possession of all three items, so in the end I will keep my Bible. I was raised to place my trust in God above all else. Faith is the backbone of my family culture, so this is the one item I cannot be without.  I am confident that I can adapt to any situation I find myself in, and I look forward to learning about another culture while teaching them about mine.

The truth of the matter I have come to realize is that my family culture is not full of ancient artifacts or treasures; there are no valuable heirlooms with stories attached being handed down. Sure we have a few family treasures that are worth little, and there are stories attached to each of them, but I do not need the physical item as a reminder. These are stories I have heard all my life, they manage to get recited at least once a year at some family gathering. These bits and pieces of my family history are imbedded in my brain and carved into my heart.

The stories tell me that I come from a strong and proud people, with unique traditions and ways of enjoying our togetherness. We also know that our struggles do not belong solely to us because there are families all over experiencing the same lack of equity, fighting the same good fight. In the end, I am sure the commonality to be found among different cultures does indeed outweigh the differences. However, that is not to say we should not get to know and respect all diversity. The world is so much more interesting and enjoyable because of all the differences.