Family Culture - The Role Religion Has On Mine

What is family culture? When most people hear the word CULTURE, they think about their nation's traditions including arts, music, food, and ways of life. This is true in one sense of the word however family culture is something different. Family culture can be described in this way, " a characteristic way of thinking, feeling, judging, and acting" within the home and family unit. I would like to share with you what has shaped my family’s culture. When I look back at the 18 years I spent in my home, my family culture was largely centered on living as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our values, our beliefs, the way we treated others, the ways we viewed life were all based on our belief to become more like Jesus Christ. This is one aspect that I want to take with me into my future family. I want to have religion at the center of my family unit. I would like to share with you one example of this... 

My dad is the provider for my family. When him and my mom first got married, he was going to school, volunteering as a soccer coach, and working. He did this up until he had his third little girl. He then moved up to Salt Lake City when he got a fulltime job as a soccer coach and a math teacher. Over the next decade of living in Salt Lake he has worked as a math teacher the whole time and part time as a girls’ soccer coach, boys’ soccer coach, girls’ basketball coach, and boys' basketball coach. My dad is a hard worker and has always put his all into his job. However, work was never and is still not his first priority. Then what is? Ever since I was born my dad and mom have been strong members in their Church. They attend all their meetings which includes Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and sometimes weekends. They also did their best in their callings which consisted of serving their neighbors. For 8 years my dad took a week out of his very busy summers to go and spend time camping with the young women of our ward. Church has always been one of my dad’s first priorities. His other priority is family. Looking back, I am amazed at how my dad was able to manage his time. I played on a soccer team starting at the age of 8 and my dad was alongside me the whole way. He attended my games, coached my practices, helped me practice and improve my skills on my own time, and loved and supported me. When he came home from long days of work, even though he was tired, he would spend time with his little girls and wife. In my teen years I noticed how tired and exhausted he was; we would tell his to take time for himself, but he often would still play games with us. Work could have gotten in the way of his priorities and my families culture could have been completely different because of it, however I am so grateful for my dad’s example of putting his priorities of family and church first.

I have seen time and time again my life being shaped by these priorities in which my parents have taught us. As you go forward with your life, I want you to consider what aspects of you family culture you want to apply to your own family and maybe even what things you would like to leave behind.

https://www.cof.org/content/effects-family-culture-family-foundations