A number of years ago I attended a baptism. After the baptism was over the grandfather of the child who was baptised said to me, “The best gift in life is the gift of a healthy child.” What a wonderful thing it is to give birth, to bring new life into the world, to create a family. Creating a family must be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things that human beings can do.
Of course raising children is hard work. It is a 24/7 business. It involves making numerous daily sacrifices – early mornings, late nights, constant vigilance. I once heard someone make this comment about raising children: “Give children plenty of who you are and little of what you have.” What children need most is time and attention. Time and attention are more important than things. When children get time and attention they feel loved and they feel secure. The best preparation children get for life is the time and attention they receive from their parents. There is much wisdom in the saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Nowadays fathers are spending more time rocking the cradle. Parenthood is a great vocation, but it does carry huge responsibility.
I once saw a plaque hanging on the wall of a kitchen that had these words written on it: “Home is the place where you grumble the most and are treated the best.” That is a fairly good description of what it means to belong to a family. In your own home, among the members of your family, you can let your hair down, give out about the world, complain about what is happening in your life and yet you know that you will always be accepted, cherished, and safe. The love we receive within our families allows us to be ourselves. It also enables us to live and work in the world with healthy self-esteem and self-confidence.
The relationships within the home are the most significant and important relationships in our lives. And yet because of the pressures of life and the need to succeed we can end up neglecting the relationships within our homes. The life of the family of Nazareth, known as the Holy Family, is a good example of quality relationships within the home. Joseph, Mary and Jesus were attentive to one another; they made time for each other; they put one another first. This helped them to deal with the hardships and challenges they had to face. It also strengthened the bonds of love and peace that were between them. If we prioritise the relationships within our homes we too will experience the same resilience, love and peace.