As I sit here and type out a recommendation letter for a friend looking to adopt, I think about my own family and families in general. While this couple I know wishing to adopt is heterosexual the fact of the matter is that a family in the most stable sense is one in which there are two parents. This Nuclear family with Mom, Dad and 2.5 kids has long been the model of Americana since the 1950’s and it’s constant perpetualization in the media. Sure there are families with larger models much like there are larger molecules, so why not compare the two? Hey, it’s worth a shot right?
Inside most atoms you have a proton, neutron and electron. The basics of chemistry and the basics of a family. Some families don’t have an electron so they share nieces and nephews from their siblings. Now, there are atoms that exist without a neutron, or an uneven number of protons and neutrons, but they’re the exception, usually. I haven’t lost you yet have I? The balance between the central proton and neutron is paramount to keep the atom stable and critical to add more electrons or kids. Sadly sometimes the pair can’t add electrons without help and those that shouldn’t have added electrons at all to their unpaired match add them because we’re seeing the incentivization of single unit families.
With our new society and the way laws are written, we’re seeing more of these unbalanced atoms, or families. Older more tired grandparents are caring for young electrons while the young protons or neutrons either seek a pair, or just look to add more electrons. Eventually some of these atomic families will stabilize but the most successful atomic families are ones that have that strong central core. I grew up in one and I wish to model my own nuclear family after it. Many do and it’s heartwarming.
I really hope I haven’t lost you but if you’ve made it this far, I applaude you; this comparison isn’t easy. I see this new generation growing up in a world where the nuclear family is being lauded as something of a joke. I watch as instability becomes the norm and while me and my neutron long to have our own electron, we’re settling for a covalent bond (enjoying nieces and nephews) with our own families. This new world is very discomforting and I truly wonder what will happen with the nuclear family. Other countries took a different approach, not allowing molecules to grow families and maintain status quo but that’s another story. America’s isotope may soon go the way of the bison that roamed this great nation if we don‘t wake up.
Adding electrons for additional atomic weight or mass is not going to stablize your atom, only the addition of another proton or neutron will offset your balance. This principle is not just a chemistry principle it’s also a natural one. There are many animals in the wild that apply this principle of parentage and the most successful at sustainment are the nuclear ones. Mind blown yet? Cos it’s a simple yet often overlooked fact. I really oversimplified, but yeah the truth is families need a strong central pair to be successful and no matter how you slice it as long as that relationship is solid with a good support group surrounding it. We can’t help sometimes the actions or the incidentals along the way, but when a strong qualified central pair wants to be part of the nuclear family, why would anyone hesitate?
