Family Values Essay, Research Paper

Family Values

There are so many various types of people with different ethnic

backgrounds, culture and manner of living that are the cause of distinct values

in a family. These families have poor, mediocre or virtuous family values,

however what one may consider as a mediocre family value may seem poor to

someone else and vice-versa. These family values differ from family to family

world-wide. The most significant values are family unity, honesty and education.

Family unity, is a family being together in blissful harmony on holidays.

Family unity is regardless how bad a situation may be it will bring us closer

together and make our bond stronger. Family unity is my family watching me grow

from infancy to adulthood, guiding me with good values. Family unity is

communicating with each other. Unfortunately, my parents were seldom around

during my childhood stages. Therefore they were rarely home to guide me through

good family values. Now that I am an adult my parents are persistent to spend

time with me and teach me values not taught to me when I was a child. I believe

it’s like teaching an old dog new tricks. A child needs direction from the

childhood up to adulthood not the reverse. I recall coming home from school to

an empty house. My parents were working to provide us with a home, things we

needed and wanted. Regardless, as a child a family was just as important. A

popular soul singer, Luther Vandross, sang a song whose lyrics explained about

objects in a house that were still the same, but a house was not a home if there

wasn’t anyone there you can kiss good night. I must agree with Luther, I’ve felt

the same way for years. It would have been nice to have my parents home to

enforce rules at home. For example, if someone would have been home I would have

done my homework instead of going outside to play. Another example is sitting

together as a family to have dinner is something we rarely did. There were many

things I wish we would have discussed at the dinner table. Having my parents

spend time with me on weekends would have been very good example of family

values. My parents were so busy trying to give us everything material and

forgot that spending time with us meant more.

Secondly, the value of honesty. Honesty is the back bone of a persons

word. Without it there would not be any meaning. Throughout my life my father

always stressed that honesty was an important value. In other words , “honesty

is the best policy.” Of course there are times when honesty may hurt someone’s

feelings, but that was an situation we had to decide on our own. I can even

remember my very first honesty lesson my parents taught me. It was taking my

grandfathers silver dollars and playing with them when I shouldn’t. I later

that evening my grandfather went to go show my younger sister those silver

dollars and somehow they were missing. My mother and father came to me because

earlier that day grandfather showed me those silver dollars and my parent

thought I might have taken them to play with. Well, when I was asked that

sixty-four thousand dollar “Brian did you take Grandfathers silver dollars” my

answer was “no”. Well later that day, while I was playing in the play room my

father h appen to walk in while I was loading those missing silver dollars on to

my dump truck. Boy did I know I was in trouble. He crabbed me by the arm and

explained to me that it was not nice to lie to them. So dad made me go out to

grandfather and apologize to him and my mother and told me it was not right to

lie. I will never forget that valuable lesson my father taught me that day.

My third most valuable belief is education. Having come from a family

with both parents without a college degree. My parents strongly believed that

education was a value for future success. They had me observe how they both had

to work to make ends meet. Both of them explained however if they had received

a college education thing would have been a little easier around the family.

They now realize the value of a college education and what it means to the whole

family. It would have meant mom could have stayed home with us during younger

years and built our values up even more then they are now. That is what they

are trying to prevent from happening to me and my family. It is not until now I

realize what they were talking about. Just watching the evening news and seeing

these families who are less fortunate to go attend college makes me appreciate

the chance my parent give me. These are just some of the many values my

parents preach to me over the years. Family unity, honesty, and education are

the gigantic values that I can remember my parent discussing with me. These

three values that were instilled in me will one day be passed on to my children

because I feel that these values are very significant in establishing one’s self

and one’s own personal values.