ABSTRACT
As a species, we are enormously blessed with the ability to heal physically. But even as tenacious as human life is, we are remarkably vulnerable to injury, disease, and death. Emotionally and relationally, we also have amazing resilience. It is our families that build this resource of resilience by assuring us that they indeed love us and they can be trusted. Relationships and emotional damage can be held in check if there is a resource of love and trust. No matter how irresponsible the act, how harsh the anger, how hideous the ramifications in the family, relationships survive when people are loved and trusted. On the other hand, in families where the resource of love and trust is depleted, relational and emotional energy drain is almost a foregone conclusion; it does not matter how insignificant the act, how innocent the remark, or how minor the damage.
