There are some terms in our daily life that at some point, we just take 'em just the way they are, without thinking too much of anything. Starting with light, water, going further to people, relationships, and to kindness, love, share. One of the concepts that it is as old as the Earth itself, is the family. Even though people along the history understood it differently, and they still understand it more or less, almost everybody gets hitched at some point in their lives. Did you know, in 1999, 2 million 300 thousands people got married only in the USA(according to National Center for Health Statistics - Sept 6th, 2000). That means over one million weddings in one year in just one country. Have you ever wondered why marriage is so common? Marriage provides us with the great opportunity to connect with someone else in a way you never do with anyone else. The family is the place where you can be yourself. Although the latin origin of the word itself means "slave house"( - famulus), and the family was the property of man, over time, the word got another meanings. And despite the fact that Lewis Henry Morgan identified only in 1871 the Eskimo kinship (- this was happening just 139 years ago, btw) - what we call today "family tree", the family has always had a very important role in the society.
Today, marriage is sacred, and considered a blessing. A way for God to show us His love. And how to love. Nowadays, the man does not own the wife, children, properties, like in the past. The two are equal. Still the social and biological functions of the family, are quite the same. We can see whenever we turn our heads the sequel of the biological function: the sweet little children we can't help but smile when we see one... The social function is a little more complex. Parents need to form their children, and teach them how to accommodate to the society, and still other few functions like the juridic one, the religious one, and the economic one.
"The family is considered to encourage intimacy, love and trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanizing forces in modern society." - I read couple of days ago on the internet. And we like it or not, but it's true... or, at least, it should be. Unfortunately, the modern society, is a thief. It stoles from us what we need like a breath of fresh air: the time we have to spend in family. Nowadays, father works, mother works. At least 8 hours/day. And then, they go to a part-time job so they can afford not to buy a palace, but to pay their monthly bills and the food they need. That's when they both have a job (and that's something!). Very often the head of the house has to spend more than 2-3 days out of town (or even country) because he's in a 'business trip'. And then, we are wondering why the family is not that warmth place where you can come anytime with anything. And, we wonder what didn't work when we hear about another divorce. Maybe it's not fair to blame it on the society, you say, but hey, didn't the modern society (and technology) make us run everyday like in a horse race? Actually, I don't try to put the blame on somebody's or something's back. I just want to show you, guys, the family's task (to protect against the outside world) is undermined by our new society we invented (and call it modern), because, slowly, the school, the job, the society becomes our family, and we get to spend more time anywhere else but home, with family.
So, what's to be done?
Today, marriage is sacred, and considered a blessing. A way for God to show us His love. And how to love. Nowadays, the man does not own the wife, children, properties, like in the past. The two are equal. Still the social and biological functions of the family, are quite the same. We can see whenever we turn our heads the sequel of the biological function: the sweet little children we can't help but smile when we see one... The social function is a little more complex. Parents need to form their children, and teach them how to accommodate to the society, and still other few functions like the juridic one, the religious one, and the economic one.
"The family is considered to encourage intimacy, love and trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanizing forces in modern society." - I read couple of days ago on the internet. And we like it or not, but it's true... or, at least, it should be. Unfortunately, the modern society, is a thief. It stoles from us what we need like a breath of fresh air: the time we have to spend in family. Nowadays, father works, mother works. At least 8 hours/day. And then, they go to a part-time job so they can afford not to buy a palace, but to pay their monthly bills and the food they need. That's when they both have a job (and that's something!). Very often the head of the house has to spend more than 2-3 days out of town (or even country) because he's in a 'business trip'. And then, we are wondering why the family is not that warmth place where you can come anytime with anything. And, we wonder what didn't work when we hear about another divorce. Maybe it's not fair to blame it on the society, you say, but hey, didn't the modern society (and technology) make us run everyday like in a horse race? Actually, I don't try to put the blame on somebody's or something's back. I just want to show you, guys, the family's task (to protect against the outside world) is undermined by our new society we invented (and call it modern), because, slowly, the school, the job, the society becomes our family, and we get to spend more time anywhere else but home, with family.
So, what's to be done?
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