Family

My relations bound to me by blood and/or by oath are deeply important to me. This truth is tossed about in my culture--especially my Christian, evangelical one--so often that it is continuously in danger of sounding trite and cliché. I confess that when I read in a student's paper "My family is the most important thing in my life," I wince, fairly certain as I am that there will be little of new or of interest in the rest of the essay. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised. . .but not often.

Everybody seems to agree with the importance of family, and even those whose lifestyles indicate a different set of values (like some politicians or pop celebrities) will parrot for acceptance the lines that their general culture holds true: family and the values which allow family to prosper are the center poles of our society.

Because there are so many words and phrases already established which affirm the importance of family it is easy to say nothing about ones' own family and instead hide behind nice sounding but empty phrases and ideas.

I hope I won't do that.

But I must reiterate that my family is deeply important to me!

Here is an index of my family. . .

[The Rearicks of Ohio]

[The Rearicks From Whence I Came]

[My Brother Jim's Rearick Family Site]

[The Purtas From Whence Came My Beloved]

[The Cubies From Whence Came My Mother]

[The Raglins From Whence Came Momma Purta]

and finally

Here are excerpts (with cartoons) from my

Personal Journal describing my marriage and family life.

Enjoy