From the Stacks: A Record of Shifting Values

It is a recurring entry in the human record that age lends a peculiar perspective to life. Matters once deemed trivial can, with the passage of only a few years, acquire the gravity of life-or-death decisions.

Consider, for instance, the institution of family. In the vibrant but often chaotic records of one's twenties, its role might appear evanescent. As the timeline progresses, however, its significance solidifies, becoming not merely essential but profoundly necessary for the preservation of one's own sanity. This is not the family of abstract concept, but of function: a unique social institution that serves as a sanctuary. It is a place that permits one to talk, to yell, to throw tantrums, to err grievously, to laugh, to cry, and to be utterly ridiculous. Concurrently, it is the crucible that corrects behavior through the often-sharp instruments of criticism, jokes, and even pointed teasing.