Society today is doing its’ best to keep the family apart. Sure — you’ll see commercials showing families using certain products to be happy and pleasant, but the truth is that most homes are far from pleasant places to be.
The pressures to succeed and make money to afford a good life push many parents to sacrifice their time, energy and life working jobs which take them away from home for a majority of the week. Kids are seen as a nuisance and get in the way from attaining “true success”, so they are put into day care as soon as possible. The parent’s job of raising their kids often goes to others.
In Japan, the school hours are long and keep the kids as busy as possible, with terribly short spring, summer and winter breaks. People are expected to focus everywhere but the family, so when there is precious family time, those same people are too tired to give any quality energy toward their family or see it as a nuisance to do so. This is a downwards spiral where family members treat each other terribly, not even liking each other.
So what does it take for a family to fly above it all? Well I believe family must become priority again. More important than work and success, school and business; above fun and pleasure and individual pursuit is the value of the family as the true base unit of society. No government, program, school, club, business or institution can take the place of the family or the importance of the father and mother. Children are the greatest inheritance anyone could have — they aren’t a nuisance, they’re a reward!
When loving parents create a family culture that values each member of the family, the home becomes a place of heaven on earth. Dad can’t wait to get back at the end of the day. Mom is energized by being together. The kids feel loved, safe and secure at home. Their friends are welcomed. Even the pets love it there!
That’s why we make a point of doing things together as family. Not only our family, but with other families as well! When we go out on a day trip, it’s more than just something to do to kill the time, or another thing clogging up our schedule. This is what it’s all about! It’s about developing and maintaining loving relationships with others, most importantly the loving relationships we can enjoy with Creator God in Jesus Christ.
Our videos are often fun and playful, but there is a much deeper, hidden value behind each video we post. It’s the higher values of family and relationships which has been sorely neglected in society today. No one gets married and starts a family to have a loveless, miserable family. No! We want a happy family, so we strive to give our family the best.
But in the pursuit of the best jobs, the best schools, the safest cities, the best homes, the best _________, we sacrifice what really matters: our personal focus towards one another, attention and thoughtfulness. Your job title, position, salary, possessions, life-status, school, company and business have no overall bearing on your happiness. These things advertise happiness but only provide anxiety, stress, exhaustion and a life spent on chasing the wind. But a family built on loving relationships that value each other will be happy no matter the life circumstance, and that’s something money just can’t buy.
So what’s one of the best things you can do for your family? Take a day off when your kids have their next day off school, and do something, anything, together. Most of my friends (including myself) have more vacation days stored up that they never use! Go against the grain of society and take the day off! Give your attention to the other family members and not to your agenda, phone or to-do list. Yes, be a good, hard-working person, but when it’s time to be with family, do it all in. The rewards you reap will surprise you!