Mobile Storage

Every year thousands of Americans move from city to city, state to state and in some instances to countries abroad. Chasing the American Dream is forcing people to migrate. Moving has it pros and cons. On the downside, moving is at the price of the social well being of the traditional American family.

Two or three generations of family living together in the same house or the same city comprises the traditional American family. This model is still prevalent in rural America but is becoming scarce in the cities. Better economic prospects in states other than that of original residence are forcing the Americans to take a hard choice. More often than not they choose to move with its direct adverse effects on their immediate family.

The elders of a family are the most affected when a decision to relocate is taken. This decision typically involves leaving behind the elders. The elders are thus faced with an ‘empty nest’ which has a direct impact on their emotional health. Families moving sometimes opt to put their elders in old age homes and institutions for the aged so as to concentrate on their aspirations. Some senior citizens cope up with this ‘banishment’, while others find that sadness and melancholy dominate their lives.

Along with the elders others are also affected. The absence of the grandfather and/or the grandmother has its effect on the children too. The moral values and lessons of life passed on verbally by the grandparents are lost to them.

Moving to a new place is never easy on the pocket. Any relocation is a challenge on your budget management, which would include careful assessment of your immediate liquidity, as well as your various insurance policies. A move abroad requires far more careful financial planning than an interstate move. Even unitary families are greatly affected financially. The children’s need to move may well be financed by the parents thus increasing their burden. The children on relocating get busy with their own lives and the thus the established social fabric also undergoes strain.

Intra-family and societal relations are affected by migration. The vacuum created by loss of family members requires to be filled. When suitable role models do not fill the space, siblings become vulnerable to the darker sides of human nature and at a later stage visits to the psychiatrist become a norm. Ever wondered why the psychiatrist has become such an important figure in daily lives of Americans? The answer possibly lies in the disarray caused by the breakdown in the American family social structure - a possible outcome of migration. The issue that needs to be addressed is whether we as Americans must reconsider our choices, or continue our quest for fulfilling the American dream at all cost.