The value of family

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Human beings have an intrinsic dignity. Each person is worthy of a great respect just for the fact of being human; but in how many places is this truth effectively put into practice? Not many, judging by daily observation. But, yes, there is an environment where each one is loved for what they are, independently of their utility or their attributes. This environment is the family

A man is a being in formation; he doesn’t come ready. And, at the same time, he is a social being. His development demands the contribution of others, and the basic principal structure of support is the family unit, where everyone finds adequate space for their own enhancement. If we believe that the purpose of the human being is excellence in the practice of his virtues, the family is the primary atmosphere in which children will have the possibility to learn the qualities necessary for an ethical life. The family is the ideal locus to exercise generosity: the adults practice it through the required mutual demands of marriage and through the detachment demanded by the arrival of offspring; children can mirror themselves in the parents, give their collaboration so the home is always a healthy atmosphere and, if they have siblings, they will learn since the most tender age the importance to share what you have. Through integral dedication, human beings develop themselves and those that live with them. This is a powerful push in the direction of the construction of a complete person.

“The family is the primary atmosphere in which children will have the possibility to learn the qualities necessary for an ethical life”

Understanding the dimensions of human dignity and the call to excellence, we can learn about the essential role of the family. It is the atmosphere most suitable for the personal development of its members looking towards the construction of the common good, and rightly so it needs to count with the active protection of society and the state. This means to recognize the gift that the family offers when they are open to life and, through the offspring that is generated, looking to give new members to society conscious of the value of each human being and the necessity of a virtuous life to reach personal fulfillment and their own happiness and of others. Unfortunately, a mentality of population control is widespread and sees children as a source of financial costs and of physical and emotional wear and tear. It is required to urgently recover the conviction that children are valuable for what they are.

The power of the family is so great that the evils that afflict it have an enormous and deep impact. Let’s think, for example, about domestic violence, the abandonment of children and infidelity. If this type of attitude hurts when committed by people we don’t know, or between friends, it’s is even more serious when addressed to the person chosen to construct a lifetime together, or to those to whom the gift of life was given, who are the blood of your blood. The ties that bind a family are not just any ties. Assaults on the family and those committed within it are evils that need to be fought without rest.

“Strong families lead to strong societies”

Moreover, it is perfectly reasonable that society occupies itself with the task of protecting the family and its offspring with initiatives that facilitate the coexistence between the parents and children, within the scope of community and institution – it’s commendable the legislation that recognizes the importance of the family as the basic cell of society and that gives conditions where mothers and fathers can always be present during the life of their children, like licenses and working laws that permit flexibility of hours agreed between employer and employee, in accordance with each particular situation.”

A society that bets on the family, that gives force to avoiding the breakdown and weakening of the home, that values its children as true wealth and that, as often as possible, is inspired by these positive characteristics of the family to formulate public policies has everything it needs to be a healthy society. Strong families lead to strong societies.