Katie Hulse & The Family

 Yeah... I'm not married, but that doesn't mean I can't share a thing or two that I know about marriage, right? Some of you may think of marriage as something disposable or as something you never see yourself getting into. On the other end of the spectrum, you may believe or know with your entire being that marriage is an eternal commitment and pursuit. I personally believe that marriage is eternal. Someday I will be sealed to a young man for the rest of eternity. But enough about me--moving on. What makes a marriage a good marriage? How are you going to make eternity with one person tolerable? Here are some of the basics: communication, trust, honesty, and commitment. I would be lying to you if I said those values weren't essential. Do not underestimate their importance. Communication includes everyday conversations, conflict resolution, and setting boundaries. Communication isn't just talking to someone; it's conveying your feelings, needs, and wants to someo...

Imagine this. You're at a pep rally before the homecoming football game. With the band playing loudly in the background, you and your best friend are talking with two boys from the senior class. One of the boys, you have so much in common with him and he can't stop smiling at you. When the night comes to an end and everyone starts heading to their cars, he comes up to you and says he would love to go out sometime. He asks if he can call you tomorrow night. He calls a few times a week to ask about your day and see what your weekend plans are. The two of you go on several dates--he even brings you flowers every Sunday and walks you home from church. You've shared milkshakes at the diner, screamed at the top of your lungs on rollercoasters, rolled down the side of a hill to see who could make it down fastest, held hands at the movie theatre, painted portraits of each other, and petted stingrays at the aquarium. After a month, the two of you decide to date exclusively and not s...

 Men and women are designed to be different. Before you come at me with pitchforks and flaming torches, listen. Some believe that women and men are equal in all aspects of life, but biologically, it just doesn't work like that. I'm not saying men deserve to be paid more than women or women are not qualified for the tough jobs that men are usually better suited for. I am not for that sexist mindset. But let's talk about that for a moment. Generally speaking, what words are used to describe a man? You may think of the following: strong, protective, hardworking. What about a woman? Sensitive, caring, nurturing. What if we flip-flopped those qualities? A woman that is strong, protective, hardworking. Some may say she's just an independent working woman that can provide for herself. Now, let's discuss a man that is sensitive, caring, and nurturing. Immediately, someone may insensitively say he's "femmy" or "gay." Why is it that when a woman takes ...

 Each family has a different culture. You know I like definitions, so we're going to go ahead and define culture. Culture: "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively," or, "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group." In terms of biology, a culture is "the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an artificial medium containing nutrients" (Oxford Languages). As you can probably guess, family culture isn't anything like one in biology--at least I hope not. The culture of a family is very similar to or practically the same as the second definition I shared. "The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group." When you first think about it, you may wonder how a single family can have all of that. But yes, a family does have all of that--unique customs and social...

 Every family is different. Duh, right? Off the top of your head, you can probably think of dozens of different family dynamics within your community and family. In my case, I can think of several friends with parents that chose to separate--some of which now have step-parents and half-siblings, or only step-siblings, or maybe their biological mother/father stayed single. I can think of acquaintances that never knew their father, with a mother than never married. I can think of a close friend whose mother cohabits with a "close friend." It's interesting to see how many different family dynamics and lifestyles exist. However, there are other factors to take into account when analyzing a family's way of life. There are four theories that help in doing so--examining the way a family uniquely functions. We are going to discuss two of them. But before diving in, let's define and discuss what a theory is. Might as well brush up on your vocabulary while you're here. ...