The family - a unit where a loving, nurturing mother and a hardworking, protective father do all that they can to raise dependable young men and women of honor and integrity who will go on to make a positive difference in their community and their world.
It should be the place where we learn to love unconditionally, where acceptance and mutual respect are the norm.
The strength of the community, the country and the world are dependent on the health of this basic unit...the family.
When I was a little girl...the roles of the man and the woman were very clearly defined. My dad was the head of the home, he was responsible for providing for our family and we felt extremely safe because we knew that no matter what happened Dad would always know what to do.
Divorce was frowned upon and not an option. You made a commitment to one another before God and you stuck to it!
As time went by, you learned how to live unselfishly, for the good of all concerned. The more unselfish each one became, the happier the marriage, the happier the family.
My parents paid the cost and loved one another dearly all the days of their lives.
Today, I feel that we expect too much and give too little...
During the 2016 Olympics, I sat glued to the TV watching courageous men and women from all over the world compete for the privilege of winning a medal.
I watched as they gave their all, leaving nothing behind and this after years of preparation and planning, living a life of discipline...paying the cost without even knowing whether they would be chosen for the Olympic team.
Winners, one and all, whether they achieved their goal or not...they kept the world enthralled and allowed us to be partakers of the result of their sacrificed lives. The cost that they paid stirred our hearts, united us and dared us to hope for more.
Right now, there are women and men preparing once again for the 2020 Olympics due to be held in Tokyo, Japan. Blood, sweat and tears as they give their lives for this moment of a lifetime.
May we likewise find the courage to pay the cost in a determined, disciplined way to ensure that the little people God has placed in our care are raised in safety with a mom and a dad who remain committed to their vows and to one another.
YES...YOU CAN!!!
From my heart to yours,
Blessings!
Sylvia.
