May is National Foster Care Month -- A Shrub Not a Tree introduces the “Family Shrub” concept, celebrating the different ways families grow

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, April 27, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Inspired by the growth of her family after a journey with infertility, foster care and adoption, author Ashley Rae Klinger introduces her first book, A Shrub Not a Tree, The FAMILY We've Grown to Be, as part of a collection of children's books celebrating the different ways families grow. Written with sections for children and adults, the book introduces Klinger's "Family Shrub" concept as an alternative to the traditional "Family Tree," and explores how different types of families grow, offering a compassionate and inspirational message to help nontraditional families embrace and honor their uniqueness.

A Shrub Not a Tree began as a legacy project for Klinger and her husband, Andrew, to help them explain their distinct family makeup and dynamic to their four young, adopted children. Klinger developed the "Family Shrub" concept to provide families who are not connected by DNA with the same sense of belonging to a "Family Tree," through love and feelings of connection, identity, belonging, understanding and purpose. Making the simple comparison between a shrub, which has many stems and thus represents more than one family connected by love, and a tree, which has a single trunk and represents one family connected by DNA (and love), Klinger illustrates how families are groomed, pruned and shaped in many different ways.

“For families like ours, the concept of a Family tree can be difficult to embrace. In the book, I discuss the ‘Family Shrub’ concept as not one intended to chop down the Family Tree.’ Rather, I’m trying to provide all families – no matter how they grew to be – a way to embrace the growth and intentional blessing of their family and the families growing around them,” says Klinger. “The concept of a ‘Family Shrub’ helps families like ours recognize that our inability to add a ‘leaf’ to a tree in the traditional way doesn’t define us as a family. It’s our ability to work together as a team to achieve God’s purpose for planting our family that is most important. I believe that ultimately we achieve that purpose as a family through love and service.”

The 42-page book is uniquely divided into two sections. The first tells the story of how the Klinger family grew to be with concepts and messages that aid parents in initiating age-appropriate conversations with their children about their family story, as well as to help their children make sense of their circumstances and family dynamic. The second section is for parents and offers additional insight and a deeper understanding of the Family Shrub concept and Klinger's two-step process for growing together as a family team to reach your full blooming potential. For foster and adoptive families, A Shrub Not a Tree will provide them with a better understanding of their journey and for traditional families, the book will promote understanding and acceptance of different family types.

A Shrub Not a Tree, The FAMILY We've Grown to Be is available to purchase at www.amazon.com and at www.ashrubnotatree.com for $16.99 in paperback, $24.99 in hardcover and $8.99 for the eBook version; Kindle Unlimited subscribers will enjoy the book at no cost.

Denise OHandley
wkpr Chicago
+1 847-648-2644
email us here

A Shrub Not a Tree, The FAMILY We've Grown to Be

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