Renewing the Family Role in America

With a myriad of changes since I was a teenager, It’s amazing. Just a few years ago, there were only 5 billion people on the Earth planet. Now there's 7 billion and growing! Current news includes developing social crisis based on lack of housing, inadequate medical and food supply. On the news, 50 million abortions have occurred in the past 20 years. We have overcrowded and over-populated cities, highways and streets full of automobiles, everyone wants to go somewhere, all burning and consuming fossil fuel and bio-fuels. 70-80 years ago, horses were still considered an option for transportation. People stayed together, played together, prayed together, ate together, and (rightly so) called it a "home". These values still exist today, but they are harder to find. One good memory was that "mom" and "dad' were not only icons, but essentially the substance of the home. They made it what it was. Are these roles disappearing in the wake of self service, fast food, fast tracking, expediting, mobile web, mobile homes, mobile phones, transient careers, nannies, global marketing and careers, on-call, Onstar, TV schedules, chasing celebrities, football, (sports), seasonal debuts', and not least, commuter lifestyles where much has to be done in the 1-2 hour commute to and from work. Careers seem to overshadow all else. Personal achievements seem to be more sought than family goals. Youth are pushed out the door so quickly to embrace the wonders of the world, sometimes without having learned the foundation values of a solid family atmosphere.

Society has pushed us to super-achieve, or be put out the back door in obscurity and poverty. Successful social interactions supersede being made confident and secure in the home environment. Home is just a place to shower, shave, change clothes and sometimes to sleep. The traditional responsibility and role of the family and parent/caretaker roles are fast disappearing. Is this the reality check for you or for me?

How much time is spent making connections at home? Building a lasting and successful close-knit family unit, with shared dinner time? Walking in the park? Father-son time? Mother-daughter time? Building a bookshelf? Decorating the family room? Just having quality living time together? Talking over your day? Listening to the kids? Listening to each other? Building a relationship? Finding out more about each other? (not just listening to the bad stuff!) Hobbies are good for bonding, and simple things mean a lot to each of us, were we to be honest with ourselves. I’m just saying, that modern technology disconnects us from what is most important, and sometimes drives us apart.

Much of the daily rush and the super-paced lifestyle we live is imposed by the demands of our society. Getting up earlier and going to bed later in order to get it all done! We can't stop the world and its breakneck speed of expanding, developing, and growing; not totally, but we CAN stop it for an hour a day, just to keep alive our identity as a family. If for nothing more than to make the world a better place! To mention to each other our difficulties, problems, and successes; even to hold hands and to say a prayer for those we love and for those in need, as well as words of thanksgiving for life, and for each other. To recognize we are human, and sometimes vulnerable; and to say we need each other. It’s important to give them a hug and to bring that warmth into our lives through caring.

Whatever you are doing is great if you are consistent, sincere, honest, and reachable by those in your life. We can never go back and fix it after someone is gone. What is important to you? Maybe we could make a difference in the number of abortions through improving our homes and creating better outcomes. Someone else will see they can live the dream too! Perhaps your faith will be more visible and encourage those who seem to be drowning in society’s tsunami of pseudo-success. Someone will see your example and thank you for changing their life. The Bible has a slogan that says “so that others might see your good works and glorify your Father (God) which is in heaven.” What it means is that we do have a responsibility, and when we fail in this, we are telling the future generations that it doesn’t matter. It does! This is part of the tragedy and downfall of our nation and who we are as a Christian nation. Other nationalities and cultures ARE aggressively living out their beliefs and changing the world. I don’t want to be redefined by the status quo, or by social pressures because I can’t live my own life victoriously. It IS easier to speak it than to live it, but we are going to live and become what we put our effort into. Let’s make the rest of the world stand up and notice “US”; our culture and our belief’s. IN GOD WE TRUST! Read a little, grow a little, pray a little, change a little and slow it down a little. Make it work a little better and we become stronger as a nation and as a family. If all you have is you, then as a caring individual, do it one step at a time!

Some have settled for symbolic reference of the home by making it “look” comfortable, or even to hang well-meaning signs, “Home is Where the Heart Is” but Much better to actually live it and work it as a “place” for us to meet, and to be there for each other, and not be overwhelmed by all the technology around us. We must not give up, and succumb the fast pace of Society. Don’t let your car be the only home you know and especially don’t let your workplace be the only family that you have. America was built around the family and I feel we should strive to keep that mission alive. Mother and Father and Sister and Brother. How close are you? This is a non-abort-able necessity and provision of our constitution! The family is our strength, no matter how many changes. No matter how many new technologies!

2013