Expressing the Ideal Family
It seems families in society today spend lots of energy attempting to express themselves. In the featured image of this post, we see something of the ideal family. Everyone is neatly organized by height, the ratio of boys to girls is roughly equal, and of course, we’ve got to make room for the family dog. Everyone is happy, well groomed, presentable, healthy, getting along with each other, and ready at all times for the next family photo.
Yet hiding behind that picturesque column of family soldiers is a reality that is much different, as the following video demonstrates.
Ideal Family Meets Reality
You may need to watch that a few times in order to see all of the subtle themes.
The oldest girl is really itching to play with the dog, which is happy to oblige. The two boys, while standing in military formation, cannot wait to draw swords. As they prepare to duel, the youngest boy accidentally hits the youngest girl in the face as he assumes his fencing posture–probably without even realizing it. The mother, perhaps first alerted that something is wrong by the cries of her little girl, observes reality is not what it should be and immediately corrects everyone. Meanwhile, the stalwart father, perhaps secretly amused, eventually decides his exasperated wife has things well in hand.
Not to make fun of anyone (I am a father myself), but if we were honest about what the family really looks like, it would rarely match that perfect, ideal image. And not matching that image is how things should be much of the time.
The ideal family interacts with one another. True, the family can come together in a solemn and orderly way when the situation warrants; but most of the time, the children are playing together, making messes, and learning from their mistakes under the guidance of their parents. The trials and little difficulties are there sanctifying the parents, as they learn the meaning of sainthood.
So here’s that updated car decal, the realistic family:
