The future of the family is being determined by what we do today. Hope for tomorrow's families will come as we are able to empower our children to face the world of tomorrow. Charles Schultz has Linus ask Sally, “Wouldn't you like to have your life to live over if you knew what you know now?” To this Sally replied, “What do I know now, Linus?” This question speaks to us at many levels. What we know about the family now will make things different in this new century. We know there is greater variety in families today than the families in the past.

The vision of reality in the last years of the twentieth century and the first decade of this new century will influence us for years to come. The vision of power that worked well for our parents is not working today. The liberation movements of the past fifty years call for the empowerment of all people rather than power resting in the hands of a chosen few. We empower our children when we give them responsibility for their own lives.

Many thought the family would not survive the radical changes of the sixties. Some expected communes, test-tube babies, and informal arrangements to replace marriage and the family. This did not happen, and the family has survived, but it has changed. The family is one of the more durable institutions in society, but it is still under unusual pressures. Families continue to function in this century, with greater variety. They continue to be the most stable place to rear children, give mutual support, and bring real joy to daily life for most people. However, we can not continue to image tomorrow's families by yesterday's vision of reality.

In some ways, the family of the past is still with us. The use of coercive power is often the method of choice. I recently saw a woman on the Dr. Phil Show who was proud of spanking her three year old nephew with a belt many times. She believed that this was the way to empower a child. The future will be determined by how we empower one another in the family by offering hope, help, and healing through family relationships. Dr. Phil and most of the audience felt this woman was wrong. The empowerment of children is important today since children face many new challenges. A fractured society needs a place to find wholeness. The family is the place where children find wholeness. Strong families touch every sector of society and fulfill the needs of growing children. Strong families create a stronger nation. The future of America will be determined by what happens in our homes in the next few years.

Children are empowered through trust. They learn to trust from parents they can trust. Children learn from what a parent is as a person. This is involved in a parent’s view of God, others, and the world. Hope is born of openness to others. This means that we must value variety.

The first feelings of power and powerlessness start in the home. Something happens in our families as we grow and change. We are formed or deformed by our early relationships. The vision of inclusiveness experienced in the home is shared and sharpened through the interaction of many forces in the family. The daily disciplines of mealtime, bedtime, brushing teeth and the experience of family structure are vital to a child's empowerment.

“Wouldn't you like to have your life to live over if you knew what you know now?”