While playing in the park with my son the other day, we were fortunate enough to meet two very nice, elderly ladies. They approached us and commented on the fact that we were all at the park as a family. It seemed very rare to them. I explained that we always take time out of our busy schedules to do something fun. It helps break up the week. They were so pleased with the thought of family time. One of the ladies explained that her daughter’s family never has time to have dinner together. The family is always off to practices, recitals, school functions and appointments. She seemed so sad and displeased as she spoke to me with her head bowed.
As we continued to talk with the women, I began to feel nostalgic as they recalled times from their pasts. One lady faithfully had dinner ready for her family at 6pm each evening. She made homemade foods using her mother’s recipes. They all ate together and talked about their days. Eating out was a rare occasion. Fast food was non-existent. We shared our thoughts on the importance of family. The ladies smiled as they watched my husband chase our little boy around the slides. “You’re a nice family. You’re good parents”, one of the sweet ladies said.
I feel fortunate to have met these women. They shined some light on what is truly important in life. The conversation made me realize that children don’t remember what you bought them for Christmas or what kind of toys they received for their birthdays; however, they do remember special times with family.
Looking back on my childhood, I remember the smell of my mother’s food as I walked in the door from school. I remember decorating the homemade Christmas cookies my mom baked each year. Every year we could look forward to Mom’s beautiful birthday cakes. Birthdays and holidays spent with grandparents, siblings, and cousins are some of my favorite memories. Many of these people are gone and I’m so grateful to have spent those special times with them.
We live life so fast now. As we rush around to practices, running errands, working, and studying, we often forget what is truly important……FAMILY.
“Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family.” (George Bernard Shaw)
Rhonda Gutierrez
I have to say unfortunately this is the sign of the times. I wish I did have the time to a make a homemade dinner every day at 6 p.m and eat with my children. Every circumstance is different for some, like the single mom working full time or dad working two jobs to support the family. Technology doesn’t help either. Old fashion values have seem to go out the window in this ever changing world of ours. Although I am a single parent, my children are still able to hold fond memories such as traditions that I don’t break or spending time with our families and friends. Holiday’s are a big part of who we are as an hispanic family and they cherish that. I can’t always have dinner on the table everyday but telling them how much I love them endless times a day helps. I’m grateful that my children understand our situation. There are ways to spend time with family. You just have to be creative. This is not a “leave it to Beaver” life we live in anymore.
Sandy,
I have to agree. I was also a single mother once and it was hard. However, like you, I still found the time to spend special moments with my daughter. We did a story each night and did cool things on holidays and weekends. You’re doing the right thing. Society has made it very hard on us but some just choose to run around instead of taking time with the kids. My daughter goes to school with a girl that rushes from choir to skating to cheerleading to volleyball to soccer to orchestra to swimming. This poor little girl never has time to herself, with her family, or with friends. She has no time to be a kid. This is the problem with so many families in my opinion. Family is so important and coming from a hispanic family, you realize that.
Great article, Rhonda. It really breaks my heart to watch so many parents struggle through life just to make it, just to pay their bills, and sacrificing the most important parts of their lives and their children’s lives. Your article definitely strikes a key note to people out there that forget what is really important in life. In my book, it is God first, family second, business/work third.
I do not have any children yet, but I refuse to think that they will miss out on having their parents dedicate all the time they need and prioritize family time. I strongly believe that anyone can still have a “Leave it to Beaver” life if we choose to