Family

I've heard so many stories recently of families who don't seem to really act like "family". A child might be facing an unplanned pregnancy and the family kicks the child out. Members of families might ostracize someone for converting to Catholicism. Family may not help look out for a mother or father who is always sick or in need of care. Maybe the "black sheep" of the family fell on hard times and fell into drugs. Our families are faced with everyone's day to day life and, many times, they feel like they can turn a blind eye to the problems unless it profits them to offer assistance.

We've become a society of "what can you do for me?" Instead of "what can I do for you?" And I think that starts in our own homes and families. When we lose sight of what's important, even in our family, it's no wonder our society does as well. Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." I think there are many who need to hear this on a daily basis!

I've found that when a family is small or distant, people will instead surround themselves with friends. Friends who become more like family than their relatives. I myself have a few friends my kids call "aunt" and "uncle" simply because they are just like family! They're there for us when others wouldn't be. Like family should be.

Now, of course, family should not be enabling destructive behavior. Family should not be condoning sin. Family should not be allowing someone to be abusive. Family should be able to step up and tell us when we're wrong, because they love us. Good friends do this too!

Family also offers us a safe place to go. Family takes you in, even when it's difficult for them. Family gets together "just because"! Family shows the world how to treat their neighbor, and the stranger on the bus, and the addict who truly wants a better life. Family tells us there will always be someone there for us.

So don't take your family for granted. If they're ten minutes away, if they're two hours away, if it would take days to get to them, make plans to go visit them. Make plans to hang out because it's Saturday afternoon. Make plans to go out to dinner because "we haven't gone to that one place yet!" Our families are our families for a reason. We don't need to enable behavior or put ourselves into a bad place because of family, but we do need to remember our family. We need to love our family. Spend time with them. Because that's what we should be doing for the world. Making time for them. Loving those we don't know. Our family sets the tone for the world. Let's set the right one.

May the Holy Family pray for us!