“A happy family is but an earlier heaven”– George Bernard Shaw
On May 15, the world celebrates the ‘International Day of Families’. The United Nations declared this day in 1993 to highlight how important families are for individuals and society. No matter how much technology or cities grow, the family remains the first place where we learn love, trust, and values.
Family is the first school of every child. It is where we learn our first words, our first manners, and our first moral values like sharing, honesty, and respect. In times of crisis, it reduces our pain. In times of joy, family doubles our happiness.
“In time of test, family is best.”
During COVID-19, when the whole world was locked inside, families became classrooms, offices, and even hospitals. Parents taught children, siblings became best friends, and grandparents shared old stories. This proved that no other support system can replace the family.
Technology can never replace the emotional support of a family. Family teaches us sharing, love, respect, and responsibility. A strong family builds a strong nation. Language, festivals, food, and traditions pass from one generation to another only through families.
Besides all, today’s families are changing. Mobile phones and social media have stolen family time and have taken over dinner-table talks. Youth want freedom and modern choices while elders hold traditional views. This causes fights over careers, marriage, and lifestyle.
Thus, we can conclude that family is not about a perfect home, but about people who choose to stay. On 15th May, let us keep our phones away for one meal, call our grandparents, and thank the people who made us who we are. Because “Family: where life begins and love never ends.”
Nidhi Gupta
Pursuing Masters in English Lit.,
University Of Calcutta
