We Are One!

Upper class, lower class, different cultures.... what do these all have in common? A lot more than you would probably think! Take different cultures for example. There are so many different customs and traditions in today's world. What can be a similarity between all of these you ask? Easy, everyone has their own culture, traditions, or customs. That's what makes this world so exciting! How boring would it be to travel to foreign places and experience the exact same customs everywhere you went? Does this mean that certain cultures or even classes are better than one another? The answer is a resounding no! Despite a few cultures that are clearly inhumane and not civil, all cultures should be treated with equal respect. Just because someone is different from you doesn't mean that you are superior to them. It makes me think of the second Lion King movie where Simba is singing to Kiara and he states, "We are one, you and I, We are like the earth and sky, One family under the sun..." We all are equal and we should respect different cultures.

You Raise Me Up

We've all heard the phrase, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link". Did you ever think to apply it to families? Families are a delicate system of parts that work together. If one of the parts decides to not do its task, the whole system can come crashing down. It's like a car; it runs smoothly and properly when all the pieces are working correctly. Once one part stops working, it takes its toll on the car and it can be catastrophic! We can help prevent these catastrophes in our homes by simply being aware. If you see a family member struggling, go out of your way to raise their spirits. Try to see what's wrong with them or just simply try to brighten their day. Khalil Gibran brings up an interesting insight when he states, "You have been told that, even like a chain, you are as weak as your weakest link. This is but half the truth. You are also as strong as your strongest link. To measure you by your smallest deed is to reckon the power of ocean by the frailty of its foam. To judge you by your failures is to cast blame upon the seasons for their inconstancy." We need to do all we can to be sure all the links in our families are as strong as they can be!

Who Needs Kids, Right? Oh Wait... We Do!

Think back to a time when you were in grade school and a friend found out you were crushing on a cute kid in your class. Their natural reaction was to sing the rhyme, "(Name) and (Name), sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Let's focus on the last part of the rhyme; then comes baby! When you were younger did you ever have an ideal number of kids you wanted? I come from a larger family, and so I've always wanted a bigger family. I grew up hearing that the population is growing exponentially, and if it continues to rise like this, then the world will run out of resources. This rumor needs to be put to rest!

Yes, it is true that the population is growing at an exponential rate; for now. Recently, parents have been having few and fewer children, yet the population keeps rising. How is this possible? Modern medicine! Thanks to the efforts of modern medicine and science, elderly people are living longer. As wonderful as this is, it creates a major issue. With less people being born, and more people living longer, it will eventually cause a dramatic decrease in the world's population. This issue brings along a lot more problems with it. One major one is social security. Who is supposed to support social security, when we have more elderly people than younger working citizens? In order to maintain a population (fertility rate), couples need to have an average of 2.13 children. The United States averages around 2.01 children (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html). This doesn't seem like a huge problem, but in other countries (whose rates are significantly lower than the needed 2.13 children) they will  suffer from a major decrease in their population. If the fertility rate doesn't increase, those countries will eventually run out of people!

Interesting fact: If every couple decided to have only one child, you would have no extended family within four generations. What if your parents and grandparent die? You'd be all alone. A very depressing thought, huh? It reminds me of the scene in Megamind when he has defeated Metro Man and supposedly has everything he ever wanted. With nobody else to try and defeat him, he finds himself lonely and wanting a new challenge. Megamind asks, "Without him [Metro Man], what's the point? Nothing!". 

What's the Point?

 

Without any family, what's the point? Children are essential to our lives and our futures. It is a very personal decision that couples need to discuss together. Being able to have children is a beautiful gift, don't squander it!

“Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body”- Elizabeth Stone

Additional information

-Demographic Winter 

A Little About Me

Hello! My name is Cyan Reuel and I am a sophomore at Brigham Young University-Idaho. I am a child development major and I plan to become a child life specialist when I graduate. I have created this blog for my family relations course to share insights and thoughts about marriage and the family life. Hope you enjoy!