Moving and Relationships
Every year thousands of Americans move from city to city, state to state and in some instances to countries abroad. Chasing the American Dream is forcing people to migrate. Such a movement has its effects, some good and others not so good. On the downside, moving is at the price of the social well being of the traditional American family.
A conventional American family consists of at least two generations living together, with the elders living in the same house or in the same city. This concept of family is epitomized by rural America, but is fast losing relevance in cities where unitary families are a norm. Better economic prospects in states other than that of original residence are forcing the Americans to take a hard choice. These choices include moving away which has an adverse effect on their families.
More often than not, moving hits the elders of a family the hardest. The choice to move usually involves leaving behind the elders. The elders are thus faced with an ‘empty nest’ which has a direct impact on their emotional health. Moving sometimes involves admitting the elders into old age homes. Such a move is difficult for some elders to cope with and they become depressed.
Along with the elders others are also affected. The absence of the grandfather and/or the grandmother has its effect on the children too. The moral values and lessons of life passed on verbally by the grandparents are lost to them.
Moving to a new place consumes finances. Any relocation is a challenge on your budget management, which would include careful assessment of your immediate liquidity, as well as your various insurance policies. Your interstate moves would of course be less painful than say a move abroad, which requires a longer and more judicious financial plan. The financial health of unitary families is also affected. It may well happen that the children plan to move away requiring the parents to ‘chip in’ thus increasing the financial burden. Despite doing that, the children may not reciprocate on reaching their new place thus straining the family social relations.
Moving also affects the way families relate to each other and the society at large. Relocation involves, in most cases, leaving behind a part of your family, that vacuum requires to be filled up. If this vacuum is not filled by a suitable role model, children may fall into bad company and also may require psychiatric help at a later stage. Why are Americans going in for psychiatric counseling in increasing numbers? The answer possibly lies in migration, which is causing disarray in the American social structure. The issue that needs to be addressed is whether we as Americans must reconsider our choices, or continue our quest for fulfilling the American dream at all cost.