National Parents' Day 2011

National Parents' Day is celebrated in the United States on the 4^th Sunday of July each year.  It is a special day to honor our parents and to celebrate the family structure and family values.  The role of the parents is crucial for the health and wellbeing of the children as well as the society.

Parents’ Day was first established in 1994 when then President Bill Clinton signed a congressional resolution recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
~ 5th Commandment (Exodus 20:12) 

The first 4 commandments are describing our relationship with God.  5-10 commandment deals with our relationship among men.  It is no wonder that our relationship with our parents is addressed first.  They are the source of our life. 

“The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest — schools, playgrounds, and public assistance, and private concern — will never be enough.” ~
President Lyndon Johnson, 36^th President of the United States

Parents are the role models for the children.  It took a father and a mother to create a child, and it is no secret of what kind of effect parents have on their children.  Parents give their genes to their children, but more so, their childrearing will have influence for the rest of their lives.  It is not what the parents say and teach but rather how they conduct themselves in every day live.  The family is a natural institution for everyone involved to learn the important lessons of life.  With that the family is the school of love and the source of lineage.  Without the perpetuation of lineage there will be no continuation of mankind.

Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the unification church, calls the family the school of love.  God is our original parent.  Within the family we experience all different types of love: parental love, conjugal love (between husband and wife), children’s love and the love of brothers and sisters.  By learning these types of love, we can manifest all the different relationships and are prepared for life in the society, job market, and to be good citizens.

Let’s celebrate Parents’ Day this year by honoring our parents and most of all, our heavenly parent, God.