So many times, you will hear from someone that they are so and so. They are from the xyz family. They would say. Their family is famous for this and this, they would add. Family and a strong sense of belonging to our last name is important to many of us. Even if someone's great great grandfather/grandmother was distantly related to the monarch of that country or a very rich family, ages ago, one remembers that and recollects that fact with pride. Common blood stream coming down the ages makes a big difference to a lot of us. Leave aside common people, in this modern age, even kings and queens are decided by heredity and not by qualities.

I will talk of an imaginary situation. Say, I have a cousin, who I meet once a year. And I have a friend, with whom I share all my successes and failures and meet at least once a week. If a quirk of fate is drowning both and I am given the choice of saving only one of them, whom shall I chose? My decision will be dependent on my sense of belonging to common family and the value I put to my friendship. This decision may be tough to make, but I will have to make it and live with it for the rest of my life. What would you do, if such a situation arises in your life?

Is man a logical animal? Do we behave and act in ways that are governed by certain rules? No! We all have our own rules, and values. We all look at the same situation very differently. Our reactions are very different during the times, when it comes to crux issues. I have seen examples where, if the men of two families break their friendship, both the families follow. Everybody says bye to the other family, as if every other relationship of friendship that was shared amongst the members of both the families never mattered!

It all depends on one's values. It also depends on the values of a nation. Citizens of a nation talk of the royal family in a hushed tone, watch over their every movement, look at all the pluses and minuses. Why? The smallest kid of the royal family becomes a celebrity right from the birth. Why? It all boils down to values.

Before this discussion talks only about family, let us all remember that, for many of us friendships matter more than ties of blood. Qualities are more important than inheritance. For many of us the most important factor is the person and not any other tag attached with that person.