The importance of family

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.This particular column is part of a monthly series on drug abuse prevention and treatment.

Family is one of the most significant aspects of life. It is where an individual can find love, support, and acceptance, both in good times and bad. Family units consist of parents and siblings, and extended family members, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family can also be a closeknit group of people who aren’t biologically related, but who love and care for each other. Whether it is the nuclear or extended family, the role it plays in shaping an individual’s life is enormous. Why is family important and why does it matter?