I have a confession: I
record and watch The Waltons. There.
I said it. I know the face you’re
making. When I made that statement to a
few family members, they responded with contorted faces as if they had just
sucked a lemon. But hear me out. Our demoralized, over-sexualized,
over-exposed, violent and indecent programming is the norm today, and
sometimes, it gets to be too much. So, I
take a break from it. (Hey, I didn't say I never watch it!) Don't get me wrong. I appreciate innovation, but our over-sensationalized, technology-inundated world has done more to separate us
than bring us together. A home with too
many televisions can actually pull a family apart, and everyone, including the
baby, is playing with a smartphone.
I never
watched the show when I was a child. Back
then, I thought it was boring, unrealistic, and I turned the channel as soon as
I heard the theme music. Besides, "How
can I relate to a show about some farmers with seven kids?" I thought. But the show was much, much more than that. We could make our family unit tighter and heal
a lot of society’s ills that plague us today if we could just implement a few
of the key ingredients from the show. Aside from being spiritual, they:
§ worked together to train and correct
the children.
§ were openly affectionate toward each
other.
§ genuinely cared about and helped their
neighbors.
§ supported and encouraged the children’s
talents and gifts.
§ didn’t dictate to the children, but encourage
them to be themselves.
§ used discipline (which was some type
of chore) immediately.
§ spent quality time together.
§ did everything they could to make
each other happy.
My family could be closer, too, but we do manage to make breakfast together on most weekends. Afterwards, in the midst of the mess we’ve made, we share jokes and stories. So, what will you do to bring your family closer?
So go ahead. I
double-dog dare you to watch just one episode.
