A secret to a happier home

A common scene in our home —

I say something to one of the boys and they look at me while I talk with them and then immediately respond to something unrelated or look to another and strike up a conversation.

I look to Zach early in the morning and say, “We will look up the word acknowledge today.”

And we do — copying down the definition, practicing using it insentances, giggling over outlandish examples of how we might fail to acknowledge a person (nervously laughing at the more realistic examples).

And suddenly the whole family is aware of the value of acknowledging one another and also how very bad we all are at it.

We live in a culture that is not prone to this.

Whether it be due to looking down at a screen, or simply because you’re on the fast track to getting things done and can’t be bothered.

To acknowledge often requires us to slow down our pace and we naturally don’t like to slow down.

It will require us to step out of our comfort zone at times when we are needing to acknowledge a person we do not know — the grocery store employee, the barista who served your morning coffee, the person walking past you on the sidewalk — oh, how tricky it can be to take time to acknowledge more than their existence but also their humanity.

And yet the power of eye contact, interest shown, a follow-up question asked, full attention given.

In simple words — to acknowledge is to flesh out love.

We’re now gently reminding one another, stirred by our room for improvement and looking to build a culture in our home that acknowledges listens and shows care for one another.

We have far to go.