As you prepare for this new year by making various plans and setting goals, be sure to make time for love.
The best way to show those closest to you how much you value them, is by spending quality time together: enjoy a call, visit, or an outing with them.
According to an American Time Use Survey conducted by Our World in Data (ourworldindata.org), the older we get, the more time we spend alone. By the time we hit 50 years old, we spend over 361 minutes a day alone and about 65 minutes with family, versus 278 minutes alone and 52 minutes with family at the age of 40.
If you look at this in terms of quality time versus quantity time, a research site called, StudyFinds (studyfinds.org) found that American families spend only 37 minutes of quality time together per day.
If this is true for you, how does this information make you feel?
Does it make you want to reevaluate how you are interacting with your family?
As family advocates here at Empower to Engage, we believe the West African Proverb that says, “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.” We as parents, spouses, siblings, friends, and the myriad of other roles you may play in the lives of others, must be the change we want to see regarding how our families engage with one another; and, it begins at home.
There is a song by Keith Washington called, Make Time for Love. While the focus is on a romantic relationship, there are aspects of the song that ring true in all types of relationships. There is a section of the song that says, “Seems like we’re always in a hurry, love’s always the sacrifice…”, and it speaks strongly to the rut many families find themselves in as each day seemingly hurries by to get to the next.
This year, it may be a good idea to use your calendar to plan more events, activities, conversations, and other things with those you live with! Instead of leaving them to go do things with other people, let them know that you’d like to spend more time with them. Your gesture can be the beginning of something beautiful.
Remember, change is good, and this kind of change can strengthen the relational dynamics of spouses, parents and children, siblings, as well as extended familial relationships. It is important to show people how much we care by giving them our time — quality time that is.
If you need assistance discovering ways to connect with those you love, we have resources that can help. Check out our services and books before you go.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Image by Alisa Dyson from Pixabay
