Today, March 3, 2020, is the Super Bowl of Primary voting in America known as Super Tuesday. As we “March” forward into the battleground of politics, we leave behind the month of February, kissing goodbye the romantic symbols and aspects of Valentine’s Day. However, the one aspect we will never kiss goodbye, is the priceless aspect of love.
Love is the common denominator in life that none of us can live without or can ever forget.
The hit song, “What I Did For Love”, from the Broadway Musical, A Chorus Line, says it well:
Love is never gone
As we travel on
Love’s what we’ll remember
In a recent talk I gave to a group of millennial aged parents, I asked this question.
“How does love show up in your family life?”
Here are the top three answers I received in no particular order: Family Photos, Family Meals and Family Vacations – so I took the time to expand on those three answers.
Family Photos
Family photos displayed in the home or used as cover pictures for phones, computers and tablets give family members a sense of significance. A beautiful gallery of favorite photos serves as a daily reminder of how much each person matters. Children are especially touched when photos are used to signify how special they are. It tells them they are important and they are loved.
Family Meals
Given the right atmosphere, family mealtime can become family story time. Gathering together around a table over good food is a great way to keep up with family members, especially your children. Making sure it’s a safe place is the key. If a tone is set at mealtime for joyous sharing without judgment, you’ll be surprised how much your kids will open up to you. Your children really do want you to know what’s happening in their lives. They want to tell you of the new friends they’ve made or about the mean kid on the playground, and so much more. Your kids want you to know their fears, their sorrows, their ups and their downs. Every child wants to be known and heard. Go ahead and tell your stories too, but always remember that mealtime is a primetime to stop and listen. Soon you’ll find when it’s time to sit down to eat, your kids won’t just be hungry for food, they’ll be hungry for your loving input.
Family Vacations
Family vacations are the ultimate go to for creating wonderful childhood memories. There is nothing that says “we love each other” more than quality time spent together at a favorite location filled with over nights, quiet times, and fun activities on a regular basis. These times create memories your children will cherish forever. They may even pass the tradition down to their own families. It’s also a great opportunity to snap those family photos!
So, whether we are battling it out at the voting polls or saying goodbye to Valentine’s Day, let’s never say goodbye to love.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13