This mandala originally featured a strictly symmetrical placement of family pairs. Then I realized this was conveying a message I did not intend: that only couples of heterosexual men and women with their children (and pets) make happy homes. I made the side border couples of matching panted pairs and skirted pairs to widen the diversity I am suggesting. A gay or lesbian couple count as a family, two brothers, two sisters, a brother with a sister, two women and one man: the combinations are as variable as possible. Really, all it takes to make a loving family and a happy home are two or more people who care about each other, period! And let's not leave out single persons, they can have happy homes, too!