A child once asked, “What does your family stand for to you?”
She replied, “Nothing.” “Mine was so dysfunctional. My father was always drunk and my mother beat the kids. My siblings and brothers have already left the house, and I don’t know where or what they are doing. It (Family) is something I wish for but know I won’t have.
HAPPY FAMILY. Do you want to be a part of this group?
The Filipino family bonds in the early years of life are a great example of high-spirited, well-managed families. Others would envy our ability to do everything together: eat, go to church and watch a movie together, shop, go in and how the entire family would travel together to the airport to meet a family member, how parents are supportive of their children’s needs, and much more. For many, this was only BEFORE. Families were still given a lot of time, attention, and care before.
Today, many Filipino families still have the image of a healthy family. However, the reality is that this country many people envy for its close family ties has brought about a large number of unwanted families and broken homes.
My imagination envisions a scene where I am walking down the street and meet a child who is crying.
“Why aren’t you crying?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you lost? “Where are you from?”
“No. “No.
“Huh? Why? “Who is your father?”
“I don’t know. Expect a plate to fly once more when father drinks in our home. He was called ‘Bitch’ by my mother, and I refer to him as such. I don’t know his true name. I don’t care. Our house is like a bunch of ‘bitches and ‘demons,’ as they call one another there.
“What about your mother’s name?” Perhaps I do know her and can speak to her.”
“Never mind. “Never mind.
“Ah. “Ah.
“I’ll find my friends. To help them forget their feelings for a bit, I’ll invite them to have a cigarette and some liquor.
Would I feel great as a Filipino? Instead of family ties becoming stronger and more solid over the years, relationships between family members became weaker and weaker.
You might be able to find old photos of your parents from their graduation day. Although they may not have graduated with flying colors, can you see on the photos the presence of siblings, parents, and other relatives on that special day? You would. You can see a proud student in tears as she receives her medals, ribbons and certificates in today’s generation. He was unable to walk but he had his great grandmother.
Youth would rather drop out of school and join fraternity groups or engage in premarital sexual sex. Some are officially called “batang ima” or “batang ana”. In fact, premarital sex is a common activity in the Philippines. 1 in 3 youth aged between 15 and 24 years have been involved in it, while 14 percent of 15-19-year-old girls are mothers. What a terrible number!
With all their knowledge, researchers provided all the causes and reasons why youth are enjoying these things in order to find solutions or preventive measures. Peer pressure, low self-esteem, fear about rejection, and many other factors were all revealed.
Many people would describe FAMILY as the place where they first had Fears. Others see it as a home where Anger reigns. It is also the place where others have been Maltreated. It is where others feel Insecure. For some, it is something they no longer want to be with because of their past experiences. While for others, it feels like hell.
My heart would break for a friend in other family situations. She tries to live her life as best she can, but within her she is on a journey to find a father. A friend who would hug me and say, “it would even be easier to know that he’s gone than to see him happily living with that monster.” A friend dropped out of school and had sex with another woman after her father took all their earnings. Another friend cries whenever she whispers her wish that they have their entire family back.
This is the image of the family God gave to men with great love. This is a place where many can’t feel the things they should. Will children continue to try to make FAMILY look bad as they grow up? This is not God’s plan for families!
We are the future of our nation’s youth. We must not allow families to get worse over the coming years. We cannot bring back the days when our country envies close family ties. We can do it again!
The family was created by God to be the smallest unit of society. The smallest unit in society, yet the most important. It is the place where parents can mold their children’s attitudes and values, help them dream and give them a positive outlook on life. It was his vision of the heart of society, church, and nation. Family influences are crucial to the well-being and success of a society as well as the prosperity of a country. Because He wanted to tie the lives of the nation together with love, He created family ties.
Everybody has a family. Even animals have a family. Many people would argue that they don’t have it because they aren’t comfortable being called part of the family they belong. While we may not be happy in the family we belong to right now, it is something we cannot do.
God watches over those who enjoy the company of happy families. But! You will not be allowed to remain hidden behind the parents’ wings forever. God desires you to have your family at the right time.
You can make your family successful if you are not happy with the family you have.
All of us want the best family possible, so we must make Godly and careful decisions.
Young lady, what is it not to want a happy, healthy, and well-trained family? The family is not what excites me. The thing that excites me the most is when I am a 777 bride and walk the isle between the sweet-scented, golden-colored flowers. It is a peaceful, solemn, quiet church wedding.
As any woman, I’m motivated to attend this wonderful event. I believed it would be the place where happiness would begin and my family would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Happily ever after starts with you now. How you make choices in your life today will determine what you have in the future. Don’t think too much about the wedding. Set a high standard for yourself and your family. You see, there are many people who were married, but they were mismatched because of their childish fantasies about extravagant weddings.
Be careful! Be careful!
Reality check: Are today’s courtship practices approved by Christ? There are no longer any rules that require suitors to meet their parents first. This generation is where young gentlemen and ladies meet secretly and do things without their parents knowing.
