Building Strong Families – Sunday, December 05, 1982
The holiday season is an excellent time to enjoy our families. Those who nurture strong family roots watch their efforts bear fruit year-round. But the harvest is at its peak during this season—beginning with Thanksgiving and extending through Christmas and New Year’s Day.
It is a time when families gather. And as we observe the families around us, some seem to be closer, more cooperative and happier than others. They seem to be doing something right—and they are. Researchers have identified five common characteristics of strong families:
First, family members express appreciation for one another and make each other feel good about themselves.
Second, families with strong roots spend time together. They structure their lives so they can enjoy each other at meals, in recreation and at work.
Third, strong families spend time communicating with one another. They share their feelings openly, but they also listen well when others in the family are talking.
Fourth, they are deeply committed to promoting one another’s happiness and welfare. When life gets too busy or too hectic, they stop to reorder their priorities, making sure the family is at the top of the list.
Fifth, religion continues to be related to marital happiness and successful family relationships. And it’s more than simply attending church together; strong families share a spiritual lifestyle. An awareness of a higher power helps them be more patient, more forgiving, quicker to get over anger.
The strength and character of the family has been a recurrent theme throughout history.
Strong families have provided the foundation for every strong society. But the formation of strong families is not automatic. It requires the efforts of every family member. And families will only be as strong and as important as we make them.
The holiday season is a time to renew our commitments to building a strong family. It’s a time to visit relatives and reinforce family ties. It’s a time to make family life a top priority—not only for this season, but for the coming years as well.
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December 05, 1982
Broadcast Number 2,781