Conversations With Cinthia

Which is more important, friends or family?  To some, family should always come first at all ages and stages of life.  Others see the family of childhood as little more than an option once adulthood is reached since one can create a “family of choice” and no longer depend on the family of origin.  Today Cinthia explored the similarities and differences between familial relationships and friendships and offered some principles to help us navigate our relationships well.  She emphasized that relationships are vital for human beings, that family and friends are not an either/or choice, that it is okay to enjoy either or both, and that recognizing the reasons we enjoy one kind of relationship more than another can help us maturely and effectively navigate both kinds of relationships.  Family relationships and friendships have a lot in common.  They can both be comforting, and they can both be stressful.  Both can be warm, loving, healthy, and respectful, and both can be cold, neglectful, even abusive.  Both can b