HOW TO BUILD HAPPY FAMILIES: WFWP TORONTO HOLDS FAMILY DAY SEMINAR
Editor’s Note: We are very pleased to include this report from our sister organization in Canada and will continue to feature stories of their uplifting work in upcoming issues of the newsletter, so look forward to it!
Women’s Federation for World Peace of Toronto held a Family Day Round Table Seminar on the theme: “Harmonious Families, The Greatest Facilitator of Happiness” on February 23, 2019 in Toronto with nearly 60 participants. The program featured four round table speakers, who each had their own perspective and nuggets of wisdom to share, as well as some inspiring entertainment from Japanese volunteers.
Ms. Lilly Tadin, President of WFWP Canada, reminded us that a family is a microcosm of the world and that we should strive to expand family-type love to people of the world. She related her own difficulties adapting to her husband’s family and the wisdom of her father-in-law – or rather her father-in-love – who eventually won her heart. In particular, the presence of grandparents, aunts and uncles provides invaluable support to new parents. Above all, she recalled how she came to understand the power of the saying, “the family that prays together, stays together” and that putting God at the center of our family is key to building harmony.
The following speaker Dr. Erum Siddiqui, Professor at George Brown College, Toronto, underlined the role of the family as the basic unit of society. She spoke of the influence of spousal unity on the children’s happiness. Through a brief historical overview, she explained how we evolved from a male dominated society and are moving toward equal partnership between spouses. Unfortunately, the prevalence of single mother families leaves children lacking parenting models.
Next up was Jasmin Edwards from “United We Stand Breakthrough Ministries”, who spoke on how a biblical perspective can give us guidance on being a loving, united family. She stressed the importance of finding time to be together and develop constructive communication skills. Parents should always try to build up others through their words and show respect and interest. We should seek to imitate God and deny ourselves, putting others first.
Adding her personal view of what family is, Lindsay Hampton-Hampejskova, an eye-diagnostic specialist who does charitable work in Pakistan, shared a poignant testimony of her life experiences. Growing up as an only child of a divorced immigrant family, she came to understand that “family” is composed of the network of relationships that one creates and cultivates. In her eyes, anyone and everyone can be family. Her own experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer and having so many people coming to help and support her confirmed her belief that the world is her home and all people are her family.
Many animated discussions followed, especially with our sizable number of new guests, and almost all remained to share with one another for some time over delicious refreshments, savouring the richness of the morning.
