THE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP

Do words matter? Poets say words have power. Let’s see if “partnership” has power that applies to the family.

If a family says it is a partnership, it is laying claim to a very special nature. It is saying that:

• Our family comes first - even before its individual members.
• In our family, everybody plays, everybody wins and each has and plays apart.
• Partnership highlights relationships whose focus is bigger and better than a focus on any one man, woman, child, teen or senior.
• Each person wins because he is vitally important to all.

There is a peril in partnerships. They can become lopsided when some carry the load and others have a free ride. That destroys partnerships and hurts.

So, in a sound family partnership, everybody counts, has a say and does his/her share. The members take responsibility and work together.

In partnerships, everybody is not equal. There are senior partners and junior partners. Senior partners have more responsibility. Junior partners have less say for now. However, in good partnerships, junior partners learn how to be senior partners who then in turn bring along new junior partners.

We all have had experiences with partnerships - at work or in the community. Making a partnership work at home is probably a bigger challenge with much bigger benefits for all.

Let’s hear your thoughts on this latest FAMILY CHALLENGE, click on the “comment” button found below to share your thoughts.