HAPPY HOME
Home:
Is there a more beautiful word in any
language? Is any place so dear to the human heart?
Wherever we go, Our thoughts ever turn
to the one spot we can always call our own. No matter how humble, our fondest
dreams are centered there. It need not mansion or lavishly furnished with
latest appliances. Although these may be desirable, they are not essential to
true happiness. As the poet has said.
“Be, it ever so humble there’s no place like
home.”
There's no place like home.” I .This
kind of home is a shelter from the storms of life. It is the one place where the
family can enjoy an atmosphere of peace and rest. Such a home will give depth
and meaning to all we do,say, or think. If that home is blessed with children
who grow into mature and happy young
people.there is no lovelier sight in the world.Building a happy home is never
an easy task.If the home is to be a success, it will take a great deal of wise
planning in which each member of the family is included. There is no question
that
many fine houses are being built today,
but some of them will know little of genuine happiness. The fault is not in the house. Indeed, it might have the finest floors and walls and the most beautiful windows
and doors. but these will never assure a happy home. The people who live there
are of greater importance than the fixtures and furnishings, for one may live in
the finest house in the community and yet be utterly miserable. On the other
hand, the humblest cottage may prove to be the happiest spot on the earth.
Everything depends on the attitudes of those
who live in the home. If each member of the
family has a happy outlook of the life.
there will be an atmosphere of sunshine
in every room. If some are sour and discontented,
bitterness will be reflected in almost all they say and do. True happiness
does not spring from the abundance of worldly
possessions but from a happy and contented mind. Some people are
never happy, no matter
how much they possess. Others enjoy life
to the fullest with little material wealth.
Money
Is Not the Answer
The story is told of a certain king in
ancient times who was very rich, yet in spite of all his
wealth he was utterly miserable. Many
physicians were called to treat his sour stomach and to alleviate his chronic headaches, but no one could help
him. At last someone came up with a rather strange plan. lt was suggested that
if the king could sleep only one night in the nightshirt of the happiest man in
the kingdom, he too would be happy. lt seemed rather odd, but the courtiers in their
desperation were willing to try anything.Messengers were sent to all parts of
the realm searching for the happiest man. Finally they found such a fellow -a
beggar.
his face wreathed in smiles—and they brought
him to the palace. The monarch had never seen
such a happy fellow before. His face
seemed to radiate sunshine and good will. Surely this was the answer to his
troubles, but when hen asked if he could
borrow the beggar’s nightshirt, the king was astonished to learn that the poor
man had never owned one. He owned little, yet he was the happiest man in the
kingdom.
A happy home does not depend on the size of one’s bank account, nor does
not have to be filled with lavish furnishings. In fact the more we posses, the
fussier and more intolerable we may become. It is so easy for most of us to
loose our sense of true values and consider a few material benefits more highly
than the love and companionship of a contented family. There is no question
that a few well-placed ornaments make a home more attractive; however, true
happiness springs from the heart, not from an array of glittering show pieces
that are here today and gone tomorrow. Among the greatest satisfactions in life
are those enduring memories arising from happy relationships within a
well-balanced home. When we create a happy environment for our children, we are
building for the future. The influence of such a home reaches out beyond its own
small circle. It molds not only our own children, but countless others who will
associate with them in later years. Early home training is
the most important thing in the life of
every child, for there he learns the true significance of life. The sooner he
acquires this the better, not only for himself, but for those with whom he
comes in contact in later life. Many parents hold to the foolish idea that money
is the important thing in life. As a result they neglect their children and fail to spend sufficient time in their training. This is
a serious mistake. Money is always useful, but material
wealth alone will never guarantee a
happy home. In fact. it might have the opposite effect.
Although a good bank account might be a fine
asset to any well-trained young person, it
could be a menace to one who has never
had adequate training. When such a person inherits a
large fortune he may quickly lose it on
useless investments. Or as it sometimes happens, he may try to dominate those
around him by giving or withholding money. In the end no one is happy.
BUILDING
A HAPPY HOME
Again,
there is the danger that some children may believe money is the only object of
any value in life. It then may become their only goal and reason for existence.
They may make money even to accumulating large fortunes and yet find themselves
a long way from genuine happiness and contentment. They have placed their faith
in a fluctuating stock market rather than in the enduring values of life. This
never leads to true happiness. The finest asset any child can have is a happy home.
Such an environment will enable him to develop strength and stability of
character, thereby teaching him to face the future without fear or undue
anxiety. It also will give him something worthwhile to live for. If he exhibits
good judgment in later years, much of the credit must go to those who trained
him. If he fails, it may have
been
due to troubles in his home, his school, or unsympathetic and hostile
relatives. A great percentage of juvenile problems can be traced to faulty home
education and unwholesome influences in early childhood. Undoubtedly there would
be fewer juvenile delinquents if there were more homes where children learned
to love and respect their fellow men.
Avoiding
Nervous Breakdowns:
Most
of the nervous problems so common today arise from insecurity in childhood.
Divorce
takes
its toll. It is easy to obtain, and in parts of the world it is taken for
granted. This is tragic,
especially
when young children are involved. It is not the parents who suffer most from a
broken home, but rather the children. If more people realized this, they would
think seriously before their own misunderstandings reached the point of no
return.
What
is a happy home?
It is a place where each member of the family can feel that he is each member of the
Family
can feel that he is loved and wanted. Such a home is a place where a child can
always be assured of acceptance by his loved ones. It will build within him a
strong sense of security and affection. In such a favorable environment he has
a chance to learn the true values of life. Here the storms and
misunderstandings of the outside world can be forgotten, allowing
the child a better chance of adjusting himself to the
stresses and strains of the competitive world. That
child of yours needs parents he can love and trust. He
needs to feel that regardless of what problems
arise, his parents will always love and trust him,
though not always agreeing with his viewpoint. It
is important for him to feel that his home is a
pleasant place in which to live. When his earliest
years are spent in an atmosphere that is free from
bitterness and unfair criticism, his sense of
loyalty will broaden and deepen as he grows older.
At the same time affection for his loved ones
will likewise increase.
A child who is privileged to grow up
under such favorable conditions will meet storms that
swirl around him without being unduly
shaken. He will feel assured of peace within. Nervous
problems that afflict so many others are
unlikely to affect him. Why? Because a strong sense of security has been built
into his personality during the important early years of life. His future may be
uncertain, but he will not be afraid, for his mind has been molded by parents
who are in tune with each other and with God.
Remember this: Happy parents create
happy homes. Happy homes produce happy children.
Happy children create happy communities.
Happy communities make a happier world.
