My Future Family

Hey y'all! I am so excited for my first post! This week’s class was full of so many great topics, it was hard to choose what to talk about. I loved the opportunity I’ve had this week to read articles and do my own research. I’m very nervous to post each week especially as the topics become more controversial. I want this to be a safe place for anyone to voice their opinion. I hope that we can have respectful discussions and learn from each other! 

I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my childhood and I’ve realized how different every family is. I grew up in a home with a mom and dad who both worked a 9-5 job. I was lucky enough to live across the street from my grandma who took care of me before I was in school. During discussions in class and through reading different articles my eyes were opened to the importance of children being raised in a safe home (and ideally with a mom and dad). Obviously, this isn’t always the case. Some parents might be divorced, or widowed, or not married. 

We also talked about the effects same sex marriage has on children. I’ve been really torn about how to feel about this topic. I know it can be a difficult discussion to have but I think it’s an important one to have. So here we go. I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and that our greatest role in life is to have a family. While I believe these things, I think it’s great when gay and lesbian couples start a family. There are so many children in foster homes who need to be loved and have parents who care for them. Yes, their upbringing would probably be a lot different than a child who has mom and dad, but I think they could still have a similar father or mother figure through a grandparent, family friend, coach, or teacher. 

 As I reflect on my family life, I have created a small list of priorities I have for my future family. One of my favorite lines in The Family: A Proclamation to the World is “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. Children are an heritage of the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live…Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” My family was far from perfect, but I always knew that no matter what my parents loved me. I want my future children to feel the same way and know that our home is a safe place. I want our home to be a refuge from the world where they can feel comfortable being themselves and sharing their opinions. I’m also realizing the importance of my education because I want to be able to help provide for my family. I don’t know what the future will bring, and I want to be able to help my family if I become a single mom or if my husband loses his job. I hope that as you’ve read my post you have been able to form your own opinion on the topics I’ve discussed and thought about your future family. Here's a link to The Family: A Proclamation to the World  if you would like to read it!