Supporting Families across Generations

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Families play a vital role in an individual's life. There are so many important people that can have such a great impact on thoughts, words, and deeds. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings, and parents have so much to offer. Through different personal experiences they have had, they are able to share words of wisdom and comfort. "The adult child-parent and grandchild-grandparent relationships provide satisfying emotional bonds, as well as tangible help and assistance between generations...In earlier times, most grandparents died before or shortly after their grandchildren were born and it was unusual to have more than one living grandparent when a grandchild was an adolescent. However, today 97% of 20-year-old grandchildren have at least one grandparent still alive and 76% still have a living grandparent when they are 30 years old." It is amazing to see how much of an impact medicine has caused on the family and being able to learn from our elders. They have so much to share from their life experiences. I think that a lot of times the elderly get pushed to the side and not appreciated as much as they should. I admire and love hearing the stories they have to share about the "good 'ol days."  Growing up I was always taught the importance of respecting my elders. I saw great value in learning so many different things from them. It is such a great thing for adult parents to seek advice and counsel from their elderly parents as they experience life themselves as their elderly parents once had. They have so much wisdom to offer in a way that the adult parent may have not even thought of initially. We must never take the elderly for granted because in actuality, they do so much for communities and families themselves. We should always seek opportunities to reach out, serve, and love these family members. For there is always strength in numbers and we can definitely find this within our families.

Social Policies to Bless Familes and Children

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"Families are vital to individuals and society. Families typically provide group identity. They generate economic resources, address the health and emotional needs of family members, and enforce moral codes and norms of behavior." Families provide such a support system for individuals within the family. If healthy, a family system can provide a place of refuge for members to feel safe from harm physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. There are so many different ways in which the government can promote families and help them in many ways. Policies play a large part in which a family can have greater access to resources such as medical care, food resources, employment, etc. In my opinion, governments everywhere should partner up with more family organization so that our economies can flourish. There are so many families that do without because they cannot afford services due to having a family. Research has shown that there are less couples having children because it is just too costly. Is this logical? Sure. Should this be a concern? Absolutely. Our societies are slowly dwindling because there are not enough resources available to families for them to be able to make it and live comfortable for themselves and their children. 

"Some believe that the case for greater government support of families is strengthened by the realization that over the last two decades, American families and families all over the world are experiencing elevated levels of stress. One key factor is economic pressure. The Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor statistics stated that in 2007, of 146 million workers in the labor force in the US, 11.9 percent of part-time workers earned at or below poverty wages while 3.6 percent of full-time workers earned at or below poverty wages. Millions do not have sufficient income to support their families, and the minimal, unrealistic definition of the poverty line means that even more families are unable to provide adequately for themselves." It is absolutely jaw dropping to see how many people don't have adequate income to be able to support themselves let alone have a family. That is why it is so important to get involved with the government so that they can truly see where there are weak points to help strengthen. As citizens, we have an obligation and responsibility to get involved and help make a difference for our countries and the world. 

Observations on The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has released a document for the whole world to read. I would like to share that document to all of my readers as it contains so much truth and richness to be instilled in our lives. It can be found here: https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation. Within in this document, there is so much to be told about the importance of families, the roles each individual plays, and how the Lord sees it necessary in his eternal plan. I know from experience in my own personal upbringing as well as starting even just in the few years of my own marriage, how many blessings have come by following these simple truths. 

Key phrases that really stood out to me were "the divine plan of happiness," "God's eternal plan," and "His eternal plan." The significant power of these definite descriptions to establish the truth of what they have integrated into their structure can be especially evident when we view them within larger structures containing them. By breaking it down and viewing it in smaller pieces of the whole, we can greatly value and see the importance of the meaning behind each phrase. 

As the Proclamation to the World states, "We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets." The Lord has intended us to be within families for his eternal plan. By violating any such part of the way He had intended us to be will be judged at the day of judgement. There is always room for change and to come unto Him. He is very merciful but we have to be willing to come unto Him and change our ways. It also says,  "We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society." Governments everywhere have an obligation to make sure that these measures are fulfilled as the Lord has desired. It is amazing to see that there are so many that are accepting other ways of marriage and families throughout the world. Again, they will also be held accountable for not fulfilling what has been commanded of them.

This document has great power that come from it. I encourage all to thoroughly read it and better understand what it is saying. This is not for a specific sect of religion but for the whole world to benefit from. Let this document be put to good use and be used as a tool to help strengthen families everywhere.