Choosing Togetherness

Winnie: To me, family co-living means …

Choosing Togetherness - because we become our best selves when we journey together. Instead of focusing on all the ways we are different, we appreciate our common bond and a shared sense of belonging.

Accepting our Individuality - by honouring ourselves as individuals with our own unique needs and passions, we can show up with a heart of acceptance for ourselves and others, while embracing healthy boundaries

Giving and Taking - there is an ongoing sense of reciprocity of various forms, with an underlying spirit of generosity. Trust that we are each giving what we can, and together we will create more from our collective resources (time, effort, skills, energy, assets, etc.)

Emphasizing Interdependence - our culture's celebration of independence also invites judgement of dependence, when in fact, both are part of life. We go from dependence (as babies) to independence (as adults) and onwards to dependence again (as frail seniors with physical and/or mental declines).  This is our lifecycle by design, and within each stage we have a role to play in offering and receiving care.

Growth over Comfort - caring for each other requires courage and sacrifice. We do so because growth requires us to step forward and demonstrate our values. We want to be a role model for our own children, for one day, we will be old too.

Mindful Design - given all of the inherent challenges and benefits, how can we design our homes, lifestyles, habits, and routines to smooth the way for harmonious family co-living?