In this section of the page, I offer some practical guidance toward destroying or building the family. As you well know, something is destroyed when it is reduced to rubble, either by natural or human action. Earthquakes devastate property and people in mass. Epidemics decimate populations. Wars destroy nations. Repressive governments destroy societies when evil leaders rule them with iron hands. And time destroys everything. Some twenty civilizations have ended this way.
Apart from the destruction caused by natural action, the greater destruction of societies results from human evil. We are all capable of doing harm to others. Although most people are able to harness wrong-doing, some are not. In the United States, well over two million people live behind bars for doing harm to fellow human beings, and the actions of many others merit incarceration.
The family is the basic group upon which society is built, but today’s family is becoming too disorganized and dysfunctional to provide adequate direction to its members. Each person seeks his or her own well-being, even to the expense of the good of others.
Members complain of each other’s behavior. The married couple nitpicks mutually of conduct unbecoming; parents find fault in their children’s conduct and children in their parents’ behavior. Each person is right in his or her own opinion, while others are dead wrong.
On the other hand, building is the opposite. Something is built where nothing existed or as a replacement of the existing poor structure. Much detail work goes on in a building construction done by many people working at the same time in a systematic manner. An adequate enough foundation is set in place to sustain the weight and volume of what will be constructed. Solid columns are placed in a symmetric manner and equidistant from each other. Crossed beams of correct volume and dimensions are located in strategic places to link up and hold the columns in place. Solid walls are built to shelter the entire building. Doors and windows are constructed for entrance, exits and lighting. A good quality roof then covers the entire building. Finally, the interior design is carefully planned and built. Once cleaned and painted, the building is ready to be occupied.
The quality of the construction depends on the quality of the materials utilized and the skill and dedication of the workers doing the job carefully with ample time. Obviously, cheap materials and low skilled labor doing a rush job will construct a law quality building, which usually does not last long. Conversely, superior materials and highly skilled labor will produce a long lasting construction.
In like manner, a family is built or destroyed. Building a functional family takes time. It requires patience, skill and much affective dedication. The greater the amount of time and effort put to the effort, the greater the satisfaction will be in recognition of a job well-done.
Focus
The following articles will focus attention on desirable and undesirable actions going on in building or destroying the family in the new millennium. Families already practicing what I suggest are happy, cohesive groups whose lives and example are models to others and bulwarks adding strength to modern society. On the other hand, families not practicing good, basic primary group interactive standards are weak, disorganized, dysfunctional and unhappy units at the verge of breaking up. These families create the chaos and social confusion reigning today in our midst.
I write to both the functional and the dysfunctional family. The former will receive reinforcement for their good behavior. I encourage them to utilize whatever becomes available through these pages that may reinforce their cohesiveness.
The latter definitely will have to seize the information offered here to repair conditions. This family is still in time to save its existence. The possibilities of recovering its character and function will be high if each member submits to a program of adjustment intended to make him or her to take his or her place in the group in a loving and caring manner. Only deciding to put into practice the proper conduct as a member of this potentially cohesive societal primary group, he or she will be able to enrich the existence of the family and his or her life in particular.
This is my wish and my prayer for my readers.
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