Challenges in Family Life

Life is a roller-coaster. There are ups and downs, and family life is no different. There will be high moments filled with joy and bliss, but there will also be moments of stress and crisis. What are the differences between a stressor and a crisis? To me, a stressor is a short-term period of stress and anxiety. This could be normal day-to-day stresses, and they generally won’t have any lasting effects. Crisis on the other hand, sounds a bit more serious. Crises are intense events that cause major amounts of stress, fear, anxiety, trouble, and more. They are long-term and will have lasting effects on the family most of the time. Crises can change the family structure. An example of a crisis is a family member being terribly ill, or suddenly taken away from this life, or a parent/spouse losing a job.

Both of the examples of crisis I gave actually happened to my family and I. They were definite low moments in life. My grandma passed away when I was in 6^th grade. She had been battling cancer for years. Although her death was not a surprise, it still took a huge emotional toll on my family – especially my grandpa. But with this crisis, the bonds within our family were strengthened. We relied on each other for emotional support, and we did more activities with my grandpa. This family crisis was a hard time for my family, but with time, the pain faded and my grandpa remarried a wonderful woman. It was a happy ending, but I understand that not every family experiences the same thing or has the same outcome.

The Chinese translation for “crisis” actually is a combination of two words: danger and opportunity. It can be seen as two sides of the same coin. This can apply to the second big crisis in my family when my dad lost his job when the company was downsizing. Although my family was a little bit in financial danger and my dad was in emotional danger because he could not fulfill his role as the provider, the crisis was an opportunity in disguise. He was not out of work for very long, and the job he found is better than the one he lost. There are many stressors and crises that families go through that threaten to upset the family structure, but I think always loving and supporting each other through whatever happens can help any family overcome the downhill moments in the roller-coaster of life.