The Healing Qualities of Home

It sometimes seems that almost everyone wants almost all of almost everyone’s time these days. There are so many things to do, so many social functions, so many interests and activities and organized endeavors that will take as much time as we will let them take.
If all these organized efforts were to accomplish all their objectives, perhaps they would do almost everything for almost all of us. But there is with all of them one point that we should seriously consider: whether or not too many activities and other interests take too much tine and attention from our families, form our children, from those whom the Lord God gave us to love, to nourish, to teach, and to help to lead through life.
There never was a tonic that would cure more social ailments than a healthy, happy home. There never was a greater source of social stability than an affectionate and understanding family. (There never was a better way of helping children to happiness than the close confidence of wise and loving and responsible parents.)
Of course there are some who haven’t homes. But if all the homes we have were doing what they could or ought to do, there would be less need for many agencies and institutions that are bravely attempting to do what the home should do. And before we create more and more complex social machinery, should we not put the emphasis back where it belongs, on the oldest social institution in existence⎯the family, the home?
The years pass at a breathless pace. And too many parents and too many children have become too busy to keep close to one another and have too long postponed some of the sweetest satisfactions in life. Loss of family unity, loss of family confidence and understanding and affection is too big a price to pay for some of the things that take our time.
This doesn’t mean that we should live our lives within four walls. We all have work to do and service to perform and other obligations and interests⎯and we should have. But if more and ever more emphasis is placed outside the home, we shall have less and less influence with our families, and more and more public problems. May heaven help us all to make of home a place of happiness, and a sure foundation for faith and solid success.