Today is Family Day. It’s a day whose purpose is to show gratitude for the people dearest to us in the world, those who made us who we are. It’s a day meant to remind us if we have forgotten, of what’s important in life.

So in honor of this special day, here are a few words about joyfully celebrating family goodness.

First of all, “celebration” is a warm feeling that is reflected in our approach to the world. It should be a part of our daily life when it comes to our family. With proper practice we can learn to smile and rejoice.

Here are some important points to think about, which can help us focus on this important part of life. And what’s more, we can do it in a benevolent way that contributes to us personally and collectively to all family members. Even before the points, I will mention here that the establishment of Israel as a nation began with the family unit.

• Abraham and Sarah
• Isaac and Rebecca
• Jacob and his four wives
• And then the twelve sons of Jacob who became a large extended family, gradually forming the tribes of Israel and then a collective nation.

Observing this family from Abraham through the 12 sons of Jacob, we see quite a few failures and clashes. Most of them stem from competition, from a feeling of not belonging, from rejection and from a lack of love and support. If only they had acted differently, the nation of Israel might have been in a better situation today.

So here are some basic rules for a healthy family, which will of course also affect the whole of human society:

The starting point – belonging

Family is supposed to be the safe place for each of us – the space that allows us to be truly us, free of filters and masks. For this to happen, a sense of belonging is required. It is not enough to be born into a certain family. Belonging is a matter of feeling connected. A family’s success begins with all its members feeling valuable and meaningful.

The courage to be imperfect

A true sense of belonging gives us the courage to be imperfect and admit it. This is how a safe place feels. It is about the true freedom of each person to be themselves in their natural colors. When this is the case, it is an ongoing daily celebration.

Love is the whole story

When you find the personal way to be fulfilled – satisfaction increases and the need to constantly search for an external, momentary “high” – decreases. The feeling of inner fulfillment radiates into everything we do, and the volume of negative emotions gets smaller. Even things that once ruled us, lose their monopolizing power and sometimes evaporate completely.

Gathering for a family meal is one of the best ways to bond. Photo: Anat Schneider

Learn to express things correctly

Living together in one house requires of us the skills of interpersonal communication, which continue to develop over the years. It is the responsibility of each family member to develop his or her communication skills, especially when it comes to parents, because their behavior is the central shaping influence on the other members of the household.

Family Day is a wonderful reminder to follow up on these things.

One idea is to bring everyone together for a big family meal where everyone has at least one dish that they really like. At the beginning of the meal share the honest desire to see positive change in the family. Give everyone the opportunity to answer these questions:

• What changes would you like to see?
• How would you suggest doing this?

In the end, everyone’s desire, even the little ones in the group, is to live in a loving, warm and supportive environment.

Happy Family Day!

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