As the calendar year comes to a close, the Church gives us the beautiful feast of the Holy Family on December 30th. The feast is both a moment to contemplate the beauty of the Holy Family as well as the beauty of our own families. 

“The Redeemer of the world chose the family as the place for his birth and growth, thereby sanctifying this fundamental institution of every society.”

– St. Pope John Paul II

This feast and its placement just days before the year ends, can be a moment for us to consider what we want our family to look like at this time next year and set resolutions or goals accordingly. 

How Family New Years Resolutions can unite the family

We have heard it time and time again…there is no perfect family! There is nothing perfect. Despite the nature of imperfection, there is still some margin of growth we can implement in our family lives. A good way to envision setting resolutions for the family is just as the CEO of a company sets goals and expectations for its employees. If there is no clear guideline or direction of growth, there will be little to none. Questions to ponder are:

• What are things about our family we just have accepted as a reality not striving to change?
• Are we constantly late to events or gatherings?
• Do we jump to conclusions when one of us is talking without truly aiming to listen to the other person?
• Are we critical or judgemental of one another?
• Are we intentional in setting a time and plan to spend time together on a weekly or monthly basis? 
• What are the things that have bothered me the most about my family this year?

The Family is the Cell of Society:

The family is the core, cell, and center root of society. Wow. I do not know about you, but when I say or hear that phrase it gives me the chills! The family? Yes, the family has so much depth and meaning to the overall direction of society and culture. It is where we learn and develop our identity, our talents, our conscience, our relationship with God, our personality, our standards of living, our virtues, and our mannerisms. 

The key factors of family success include having God at the center as well as respect, communication, and love. 

In what ways can your family grow in these areas? 

Respect:

• Respect in putting your part in chores.
• Respect in understanding the boundaries of our family members and trying not to cross them.
• Respect in the dealings with one another.
• Respect in actions

Communication:

• Do I really try to listen to my family members without any self-bias?
• Do I aim to understand and empathize rather than impose?
• Do I take the extra step in explaining things well to understand one another better?
• Do I get frustrated and leave when I am not being understood? Do I follow up after the discussion?

Love:

• Do I do the best of my ability to make sure my family members feel loved by me? 
• What are their love languages?
• Do I forget about myself and put my family members before me in the circumstances that allow?
• Do I strive to give more of myself each day?

Family life is a beautiful arena where we learn to love and find God. Taking the time to reflect and ask deep questions about your current family life can help you grow in love in the new year as one unit. The best part is that each family is extremely unique and can process and propose resolutions in their own way. Have a happy and cheerful new year!