Relationships

How to relate to other human beings in a range of relationships, including intimate, familial, work, community, church, and so forth. How to choose the best partners.  What constitutes healthy relationships versus toxic and unhealthy ones? “Treat people how you want to be treated!” Sherelle’s grandmother had a collection of obituaries in what became the family Bible. She’d say, “You got to honor people when they live and remember them when they die. Sometimes these [the obituaries] are all we have of people.” “Don’t never let a man beat on you or your friends walk on you.” “Keep your enemies close to keep an eye on them.”   How grandmothers were instrumental in helping to maintain family connections, bequeathing things to the next generation, and planning family events (reunions, holiday gatherings, etc.). Views about the family, what and who constitutes a family, and what it means to act with a sense of family obligation and responsibility. Divisiveness within families. The use of oral tradition and other mechanisms to keep family stories and history. Genealogical practices. This category also includes caregiving–done by grandmothers and for grandmothers!