George Santayana described the family as “one of nature’s masterpieces.”  Like everything else in nature, no two are exactly alike. All human families are made up of the same basic elements, people and the relationships between them, but the state, combination, and arrangement of those elements is utterly unique for each family.  Recognizable patterns may occur within and across cultures, but each family is distinctive. Although there is no single blueprint for creating a family, there are attitudes and practices that enhance a family’s ability to accomplish its mission…preparing its members to live effectively in the world.  

If indeed the family is nature’s masterpiece, then as adults, we are the primary artists.  Whether we are aware of them or not, we fashion our families according to the designs we possess.  Some designs may be more sound than others, but none of them are perfect. Like any work of art, a family results from the attempts, errors, and corrections made as we, the artists, strive to create something beautiful that will last.  The focus of this section will be identifying and exploring how we can continuously improve the designs guiding us in the creation of our HeARTful Home.