“My own home,” the little boy thought to himself, “Now I know this is the place where heaven and earth meet!”
One day, with his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon where the earth and heaven seemed to meet, he set out to get there. He walked on and on; he seemed to have lost his way as evening came, and found himself in a valley, where the horizon was no longer visible.
Dispirited and tired, he knocked at the door of a cottage. A kind woman opened the door. He told her of his quest and begged her to direct him to the place where heaven met earth.
“There it is,” she said, pointing to a spot at a distance. “But do hurry, for it will soon be dark.”
The boy hurried up the slope of a hill following her directions, and all of a sudden, he was at the door of his own home, where his mother stood smiling with open arms, to receive him. And, just in front of his doorstep was the magnificent view of the horizon, where the sunset presented a glorious sight.
“My own home,” the little boy thought to himself, “Now I know this is the place where heaven and earth meet!”
There was a little boy who longed to visit the very edge of the world, where he believed, heaven and earth met. Often, as he sat at the window of his humble cottage, he could see the horizon where the sun set; and it seemed to him that it was so beautiful!
Truly, it has been said that the home is the door to the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of true happiness. But you cannot just buy or rent a heaven like a home ready-made and offered to you for the asking! As parents it is you who can turn a brick-and-mortar house or dwelling into a home where faith and mutual understanding flourish.
Needless to say, the mother’s role is vital in making the home heaven-like. It is her nature, her qualities, her temperament which will go to build her home and influence her children. It is her personality which is stamped upon the home she lives in – and the family she raises.
Above all, parents must realize that children are not their “toys” or “personal achievements,” nor are they their future insurance. They are souls whom God has entrusted to their care. Parents are not expected to pamper or indulge them mindlessly; rather, they must blend firmness with affection and discipline with love to give the children a secure and healthy environment where they might grow to absorb the deeper values of life.
Humility and understanding are the keys to harmony and happiness in the home. When parents learn to love and appreciate each other and their children, familial bonds are strengthened.
