Hello Friends, (Lesson 2)
I have embarked upon a new journey! In my last post, way too long ago, I wrote about the Pathway program which I finished in December 2017. I am now in my fourth course of my formal education. My major is Marriage and Family Studies, and the course I am taking this semester is simply titled, "Marriage." One of our responsibilities for class is to post on our blog regarding what we have learned throughout the week in our reading and interactions which are built into the course material. I am happy to have this opportunity to purposefully and regularly blog about the things that mean the most to me. Thank you for sharing this time here with me; may we each be richly blessed in our MOST treasured relationships: OUR FAMILIES in whatever way they are structured!
In establishing our own family and in choosing how to parent, I am grateful for my mother who is a transitional character in my life and for the lives that follow. As Carlfred Broderick taught in the May 1987 Liahona, "...God actively intervenes in some destructive lineages, assigning a valiant spirit to break the chain of destructiveness in such families." She has done just that. My mom came from generations of alcoholism, and as was such for the time in general, families who did not invest much time in their children. Though my mom suffered much in her life, she knew that her children would be her most precious treasures, and she chose to break the cycle that had truly plagued her family for so long....how grateful I am!
The National Marriage Project publishes a "State of Our Unions" to regularly assess and advise on marriage in America. The NMP maintains, "Marriage is not merely a private arrangement; it is also a complex social institution. Marriage fosters small cooperative unions - also known as stable families - that enable children to thrive, shore up communities, and help family members to succeed during good times and to weather the bad times." I am thankful for The Family: a Proclamation to the World, a declaration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints regarding families and how much the two go hand in hand.
I am thankful that entities and agencies across the nation are taking a good hard look at what is happening in marriage and families, taking the time to study not only current trends but trends of the past as well. I appreciate that many agencies are realizing the importance of positive father figures and look forward to seeing increasing competence in how to integrate husband/father courses as well as marriage courses in general.
I have had the advantage of living in mostly conservative communities which value and hold sacred the marriage union and cling to the traditional family. I do see more and more, though, the negativity toward spouses in everyday conversation. Sadly today, I read a Facebook post regarding the music abilities of the children in one of my children's classes as "irritating" and "bothersome." I chose to make a positive comment on the page, saying that I appreciate the school having a music program at all, and how much I loved hearing my son play. I know that each of us can make a difference upon those we touch, whether we know them personally or not!
Sincerely,
Katie
