Hot Tip! Create family value statements and operating principles.
What did “family unity” mean to the pioneer family or the people who settled our
country? For many of these noble people, family unity was both a necessity and a
natural way of life. They relied heavily on each other for survival. Like families of the
past, we have an even stronger need for unity today.
Each family member has his own strengths and interests. Each individual can
accomplish many things. But without support from other family members, all of
these separate people cannot be called a real family. We must be willing to think of
others in the family and how our actions affect the whole group. We must be willing
to do what is best for all, not just think of our own needs. Even though our
decisions for our own lives may differ from others in the family, we must support
one another and not criticize that decision. Other family members will constantly
make decisions that are different from our own, but we must support one another in
that decision.
How many times have we sacrificed something for a family member, such as not
attending an important meeting so we could see our son in a baseball game or our
daughter in a school play? The following story is an example of selfless sacrifice of
two parents. When I read this story as a young teen, I never forgot it and it stayed in
my memory ever since.
Hot Tip! Go for a family nature walk near your home to collect seasonal items that you can use in your holiday décor. If you live near a forest, the obvious choices are pine boughs and pine cones, but long dried grasses can look just as festive when tied with a holiday bow.
With joy filling every fiber of her being, the young woman asked the doctor, “When
can I see my baby?”
The young mother had just given birth to her son and was ecstatic to see her
newborn baby. The nurse promptly brought her infant to her and laid the little boy
in her arms. When the mother removed the soft blanket from his little head, she
gasped as she saw that her little boy was born without ears. The doctor tried to
comfort her and told her that he believed her son’s hearing would not be affected
one bit, but time would tell.
Hot Tip! Provides time to plan family vacations, activities, and special events.
As time passed, the doctor had been right. The young boy’s hearing was fine, but
his appearance was blemished. When he eventually attended school, his peers called
him cruel names and made fun of. Many a night he spent in his room crying. When
his mother heard the sobs coming from his room, she walked in and sat beside him
on his bed and smoothed his hair with the gentleness that only a mother can have.
Then he poured his heart out to her, telling her how he was treated in school. This
broke the young mother’s heart as she listened to her son’s anguish. What could
she do to help? He was a handsome and intelligent young man, but the girls never
seemed to look past his misfortune. He had a few friends, but how would he be able
to deal with people as an adult? Would adults overlook such a problem or avoid him?
Hot Tip! Build a family homepage. Use it to post family events and information such as new baby announcements, directions to the wedding, and vacation pictures.
Finally the boy’s father took him to the family doctor and asked if anything could be
done for their son. The doctor looked at the young boy and said, “I believe that we
could graft on a pair of ears, but it’ll be expensive. Would you be able to afford it?”
The young father instantly replied, “No, but we’ll make do. We’ll do anything to help
our son, even if we have to mortgage our home.”
The doctor nodded and after they left his office, he began the long search. Over two
years went by and finally the doctor found what was needed. The operation was a
success and the young man looked like a new person. He knew of the sacrifice that
his parents had made by mortgaging their home and he was forever grateful. He
never took their gift for granted. His confidence began to grow and he entered many
school competitions and won. He graduated from college with honors and even fell
in love and was married.
Hot Tip! Buy or make handmade Easter greeting cards and send them to friends and family. Make a point to send out at least seven cards this season to people with whom you’d like to create a deeper friendship.
The years went by, and he never forgot the gift his parents had selflessly given to
him. Then one day, the young man received word that his mother had passed away.
With grief in his heart, he went to the funeral and stood beside his father at his
mother’s casket. His father gently nudged his son and said, “Your mother always
thought of your happiness, son. Her love knew no bounds.”
Then he bowed over his wife’s body, and tenderly swept her gray hair from around
her face. The young man gasped and tears began trickling down his face as he saw
before him the generous and beloved donor that had given him his ears.
Each member must work together for the good of the family, whether it is spiritual,
emotional, or temporal needs, and by accepting one another for who they are,
without criticism. A family is like a small circle. If we open our circle to others with
love and caring, then our circles will grow larger as we touch the lives of others. In
other words, are we reaching out to those in need, allowing them to feel loved?
Hot Tip! Sit down with your children and each create a special collage or drawing that depicts what Easter means to each of you. The artwork can become a permanent part of your family’s Easter decorations.
We must strive for family unity and in doing so, we must show our love and support
to our family members by going to an important event of a family member to show
support, planning a family gathering, forgiving one another’s offenses or faults,
sending a “thinking-of-you” card to someone just for the fun of it, and staying
overnight and bonding with family members who have moved away. We can’t afford
to let our children go astray because we don’t take time with them. This is what
family is all about: loving one another and helping one another no matter how
different our thoughts and beliefs are. This is called unconditional love. But at the
same time, we, as parents, always hope that our children will be better than we are.
Edgar A. Guest described the true feelings of a parent:
No man, though great his own success,
Would have a son of his do less.
Poor man or rich, his hopes are high
That as the years go swiftly by,
He’ll be allowed to live to see
His son a nobler person than he;
And this the prayer he often makes:
“Lord, keep my son from my mistakes.” —Edgar A. Guest
Copyright 2006
Posted July 31, 2007 
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