The Four Things for a Successful Family Life: Part 1
I read once about having four key elements for a successful family life. Little did I know that these same four elements have been the hallmarks of Fiat Family Fest since its inaugural days.
These four elements for a successful family life, and embedded in the format of Fiat Family Fest, are: Be, Play, Work and Pray Together. These elements I have not found in any other Catholic family retreat and sets us apart from others.
Be Together
It’s so easy to overlook the fundamental aspect of family life: truly being together. Just because you are living under the same roof or gathering for family movie nights doesn’t necessarily mean that you are being together. Being together involves more than just being present. It means sharing life: caring for one another, asking questions, responding to each other’s needs, and offering support. Rather, you authentically have to engage and share life together with rich and deep conversations and powerful moments together. Your best and worst moments become part of being together.
Being together is undermined by distractions from cell phones and media, whether video games or excessive recourse to television for family entertainment. It is also diluted by unbalanced extracurricular activities , running around to practices and games or recitals in the excessive scripted and overscheduled life of today’s children.
What could be trimmed out of your life so that you could be together more? What would happen if you had a phone-free evening together? Would a board game or a camping trip draw you closer together as a family?
Fiat Family Fest does exactly that. It removes your family from the world and exposes you to a retreat that shows you what family life is truly all about.
Stayed tuned for key element number two…