Rose Marie Murray
Every year my children predictably ask, “What do you want for Christmas?” My predictable answer? “World peace!” With heavy sighs, they prod again. But that’s what I really want, world peace. Doesn’t everybody? Now that my children are young adults I have a new answer to their traditional question. It’s something that idealistic “I can change the world” young adults can really do to help create world peace. One of the greatest gifts they can give to their parents, and to society at large, is to value, seek and commit to marriage.
“The state has a compelling public interest in the marriage of young adults. Marriage has beneficial social and health effects for both the married and their children, and these gifts also benefit immediate communities and all of society. … This would mean that our society would predictably have fewer children in foster care, less poverty, crime and drug abuse, and lower health care costs. These public gifts from marriage would translate into higher government revenues, lower government expenses, more citizen engagement and a more stable public order.”
[Allan Carlson, “Anti-Dowry?: The Effects of Student Loan Debt on Marriage and Childbearing,” The Family in America 19(12) (2005): 6.]
When your children ask you what you want for Christmas this year, wow them with this answer: ”less poverty, less crime, less drug abuse, lower healthcare costs, higher government revenues and lower government expenses!” When they roll their eyes at you, quickly follow-up with words they will better understand. Encourage them to prepare to marry and raise a family.
The traditional family is where world peace really begins. That’s a gift that’s truly worth giving!