Families stay close to family and friends that live far away. They don't let distance and time erode their bonds. They find ways to stay connected and enrich their relationships. They will make sacrifices, like driving through snowstorms, to get together and support each other, especially in hard times.

Creating a strong sense of family identity, rich in tradition The rituals and traditions families create, and pass on, help them feel unique as a family and connected to each other. The sillier, and more unusual, the better. "This is who we are... this is how we do things... this is how we celebrate birthdays, Mother's Day, etc.

Developing a family history Families develop their history through stories, keepsakes, etc. They are interested in their heritage and often create family trees, interview older family members, and treasure keepsakes from distant relatives. They keep journals and write down the wonderful "family stories" that get passed down through the generations. Tell the family history with a pictorial video, go make as far as your old photos will take you, with as many generations as possible. Start with a photo of great grand mom in 1904 and travel through the years with music from those years, the soundtrack of your lives.

Honor and respect family values Families honor and respect a set of family values. They know what those family values are, talk about them often, and help each other make important decisions with those values in mind. Many of their family traditions revolve around the values they want to teach their children. Celebrating life together...oftenFamilies get together with family and friends and find reasons to celebrate life every month. They all participate and help in the planning and preparation. They enjoy each other's company and make every event a celebration. Examples: Sunday dinner at grand mom’s house. Continuously create new Soulful Memories together.