Why Family Matters

Our last family text was amazing to me and brought tears to my eyes. I knew I could not answer Michelle's query with a text because it would be too long and I'm a horrible texter (although talking a text is a new thing I'm experimenting with).  I've been pondering this and I've come up with my basic thoughts....so here you go...

First of all, the family is the basic unit of society.  It allows us a small, secure, protected place to learn the things that matter in life.  I think one of the most important things we learn in a family is the importance of working together. By this I mean that we "learn to play" with others and to respect their viewpoints (which are probably different than mine); to be tolerant; to understand that there might be something or someone at least as important as "me".  We learn that by working together we can accomplish great things.  Even as we've become an extended family, we have seen this at work in our lives.  Look at what we accomplished with Marquie's wedding reception by all working together and gleaning from everyone's strengths.

Secondly, the family unit is the place that we learn God. It allows us a small, secure, protected place to learn the things that matter in eternity.  Even if we don't teach or even believe God.  In a family we learn to LOVE as God loves. We learn to put others needs, wants and desires above our own. As a young woman,  it truly amazed me that I found a man (or he found me) that I could love more than anything in the world. A few years later, we had a beautiful baby boy and my love grew to love  him, also more than anything in the world.  I still remember,  shortly before Heather was born, as I sat with James one night singing him to sleep, that I couldn't imagine loving anyone more than I loved him and if that love could possibly extend to another child.  When Heather was born, and Michelle, and Justin and Marquie were born, my love extended to include you all. Look at our family today and I feel the same way as each person has joined our family, even those who were not "born" into our family. 

In a family we learn to SERVE as God serves.  We learn that we support each other, even if we don't want to or it is inconvenient.  We learn that if it is important to someone in the family, it is important to us all. We go to softball games and cheer the players on...or defend the umpire...when he is our Dad.  We go to football games, even when we are terrified of the pain those men inflict upon each other.  We go to musicals and grow and extend our view of life as we realize how much we love that genre. And are amazed in all ways when those things are done so well.   We learn that fasting and praying together for things that are important in anyone's life may be the only way we can serve each other, but it is so powerful when we fast together.  We learn with a little "gingerbread" man that there is great joy in creating joy in others. And, we come to realize, through service, that "men are that they might have joy".

So, there you go. My ponderings on why family matters.