Supportive family members act as a sounding board for our ideas, plans and crazy schemes. They help us to develop a sense of wholeness and worth. There is great security and joy that comes from knowing that we are loved and respected, even when we lose faith in ourselves.
Communication means a willingness to be open to share ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions; to understand and be understood; to accept and be accepted; to encourage and be encouraged; to give and to receive love. The Creator said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
Man was made to be a social being, in relationship with others. God has put us in families so that we may become all that we were meant to be in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. Sometimes, however, the family is the place where we are most censored, judged, criticised, ridiculed or preached at. God wants to redeem family life. Jesus died so that we might experience the flow of His love and forgiveness through our closest relationships. We grow as individuals when we learn how to interact properly with the people around us.
As we build relationships of trust within the family, we will be able to reveal who we are and how we think without fear of rejection. We will find in those relationships a place where we can unwind, relieve tensions, clarify thoughts, share hopes and dreams, and express ourselves fully. This kind of open communication can lift us out of loneliness and feelings of isolation and can help us to believe that life is good.
It is therefore unfortunate that in some families the husband and the wife have very little to talk about when they are on their own. This may be brought about by disagreements on certain matters where each spouse holds a strong view and becomes unwilling to consider the other’s views. Ironically, these are the times when communication is needed most to resolve the differences. It is unwise to assume that the differences will just fade away if you stop talking about them.
Then there are families where the parents find it difficult to communicate with their children. This often happens when the children are in their teens or a little older. Parents sometimes do not know what to say to their young adult children, and the children also do not know how to communicate with their parents without running the risk of being misunderstood or being suspected of doing naughty things.
This often breeds tensions in the family and creates an unhealthy atmosphere. Both parents and children need to make an effort to communicate with each other as often as possible every single day. Communication requires deliberate effort on the part of those who wish to build strong relationships. It is rare to find children who are reluctant to communicate with each other. Indeed, when that happens it often means that there are serious problems among them and these will need to be dealt with as soon as possible for the benefit of the whole family.
Good parents are good communicators both with each other and with their children. We have tried to train our children to relate with us openly and without fear of insults or suspicion or some other form of distrust. You can build strong bonds between you and your spouse and children by simply ensuring that you constantly communicate with each other.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis