Family DayThis little ditty appeared in our parish bulletin yesterday: "Family Day--A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children" is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce youth substance abuse risk and raise healthier children. Family Day is meant to emphasize the importance of regular family activities as a way to facilitate parent-child communication and encourage Americans to make family dinners a regular feature of their lives.
Celebrating Family Day is as simple as eating dinner with your children. We encourage employers to let their employees off early on September 23rd, and ask schools and other organizations not to schedule activities during dinnertime on this day."
Now, don't get me wrong, I understand what this organization is trying to do. That in itself is wonderful.
What torques me is that something like this is needed. "National Eat with your family Day! Eat with your family today! Never mind the other 364 days a year, because we really don't think you can handle that!"
Oh, and don't you find it interesting that this wonderful day of days would be held on a Monday? And then they have the nerve to ask employers to allow employees to go home a little early in order to celebrate the day? Well, let me ask you: if we all go home early on that day, then how is that supposed to help me pay for the food we buy for dinner? Why not just do it on Sunday, which is traditionally a day for the family? Don't suppose it would meet the standards for polotical correctness, huh?
Don't you think we can raise the bar a little higher? My husband thinks so. In fact, he is just a bit insulted by the whole thing. I know, I know... they are just trying to meet people where they are. But all we ever do is to meet people where they are, then how are we ever to invite them to grow? There must be a very fine line in all of this, and I confess that I haven't found it. It just sounds like a lot of politi-speak to my ears.
Read that webpage a little further: (and please,please hear the sarcasm in my voice, okay?) in an effort to make sure we're not excluding anyone, we must now address such questions as, "My schedule doesn't permit me to have dinner with my family on Family Day. Can I still celebrate it?" "I am a child's primary caretaker, but I am not that child's parent. Does Family Day exclude me?"
I think I will celebrate the day, though. In order to break out of our regular routine, we're hiring a babysitter and going out. If the campaign is successful, that just might mean that there's no line at the city's favorite restaurant! And maybe a night out will actually help my attitude as well! :)
Blessings.