When I was a kid I was always very willing to help my friends with their chores. My friends parents would always tell my mom, "Oh Kami is just so helpful". My mother's thoughts were, "really? cause she never seems to be helping out at home." I'll be honest, I was never the most compliant when it came to doing chores or helping out my mom.
I am a believer in service, helping those that need a hand. I'm a member of several service groups, I spent 6 weeks in a foreign country with a humanitarian group, I'm attending "alternative spring break" (it is a service trip). I am not saying these things to say "oh look at me I do service, I am saying it so I can show the problem in this situation. I would say I am willing to serve others, but when it comes to my own home...I'm not the best.
We live in a world that is in need of a change. People everywhere need a helping hand, whether it is special needs, poverty, disabilities, education, etc...there are millions of different service opportunities and thousands within our own state. As important as these are, why is it we focus on these problems but can't face the problems of our own home?
It starts as a child, a kid will take piano lessons but can't take them from their own parents. Or like I mentioned the cleaning thing, willing to help their friends clean but aren't able to WILLINGLY help in their own house. This is habit forming, it follows a child to adulthood. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think this is the case with EVERY person but it has been a reoccuring problem that I've noticed in others and within myself.
It is hard because whether we like to think it or not, our family is the
closest thing to our hearts. Some of you may have great families (and the problem is within) but just need to help out when asked. Some
of you may be forever angered by
your family, (I don't want to dig into personal things) but if that is
true then you're obviously still angry because they are that close to
your heart. Some of you may be avoiding the problems, or even blinded to
them. It is because, when things are that personal it is hard to look
it in the
eye, to go at the problem head on...sometimes it is easier to avoid or
ignore the problem and focus your efforts elsewhere.
Our nation has a lot of issues that need taken care of, a lot of people that need help, a lot of changes that need to be made. I'm not going to act like I know all of the issues around or all of the political changes that need to be made, but what I do know is there HAS to be a change. I strongly feel that it needs to start in the home. If we can't help our own FAMILY, the few people who are morally obligated to love us...then how are we going to help others.
Our homes are the core of our lives, that's where we were raised that's where we began and where we grew. We need to focus our efforts there first, then let it spread to the world.
Just like the world, there isn't one person or one solution that is going to fix all the problems, but during this holiday season (and every other month of the year), ask yourself how you can help. What can you do to lighten the load on your mom/dad. What can you do to help take some stress off of the family? Be that helping hand. Be willing to bring light into your home.
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