The Family of Mankind

I am on the road again - so it is appropriate to ask, "So Where are you today?" After spending a few days in Erie, Pennsylvania, I am in Brandon, Manitoba. This has been an annual pilgrimage, since I was a young child, to visit with my grandparents and extended family. This photo is of my 102 year old grandmother and my mother who is 84 years young. Each journey to this place reminds me of the absolute importance of family. Not just the nuclear family but also the family of mankind. My cousin Janet believes so strongly that the following poem hangs on her wall.

A Family Is . .

--- a deeply rooted tree with branches of different strengths all receiving nourishment from an infinite source.

--- where character is formed, values are learned, ethics are created, and society is preserved.

--- where all members contribute and share, cooperate and work and accept their responsibilities toward the good of the group.

--- where holidays are celebrated with feasting, birthdays acknowledged with gifts and thoughts of days gone by kept alive with fond remembrances.

--- where each can find solace and comfort in grief, pleasure and laughter in joy, and kindness and encouragement in daily living.

--- a haven of rest, a sanctuary of peace and most of all, a harbor of love.

Families don't just happen. They must be lovingly nurtured. Have we lost the skills, not only to nurture and form the nuclear family, but to nurture and shape the family of mankind? What if we sought to create this kind of family in all our communities?