I do not really give my family enough praise but my family means the world to me. Today I am going to talk about the many ways why family is important. First, strong families have commitment. The membership of each family member is recognized and valued. Family members are committed to help each other succeed and there is an attitude of "one for all, and all for one." In short, there is loyalty to the family and family life is a priority.
Second, strong families express appreciation. Appreciation is one of the deepest human needs. We all want our efforts recognized and appreciated. Strong families make a habit of expressing gratitude. They look for the good in one another and openly acknowledge it when it is found. They celebrate their successes. In strong families, communication is positive and compliments are common.
Third, strong families spend time together. Although quality time is important, so is quantity time. Strong families do things together and do them often. They enjoy the time they spend with their families. They eat together, play together, and work together. Frequently they choose family activities over other non-family activities. This abundance of time together helps them develop an abundance of shared experiences and memories that unite and strengthen them.
Finally, strong families develop spiritually and mentally. For many families, their faith community becomes a second family that provides extra support. A spiritual connection can also provide purpose, direction, and perspective.
I like that you've touched on the idea of quantity time. For a brief moment, people believed that quality time replaced quantity, and it turns out that we were dead wrong. It's better to spend a lot of crap time with our families than a bare minimum of "quality" time. When I worry that I don't do enough "quality" things with my son, I remember that we spend a lot of time together doing random things that include listening to, yes, Justin Beiber--and that this is very very good.
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