Healing found in the Home

With an ever-changing world and morals and values constantly being questioned, the argument of family and family life is constantly under pressure. Political disputations and arguments attack the conventional family and ensure that a family with a father and mother isn’t necessary for a good upbringing and successful children in the future. 

There are many ways of finding relief and healing at home like taking meditation classes, or yoga. Healing the mind, and the body are two very important points to keep in mind.

While I agree that these two contributors are not absolutely necessary for the outcome desired in youth and children by most parents and communities, I do believe that there in healing in the home, and that these qualities are only bolstered by the presence of both a father and mother as well as support found in friends and other cherished family members.

When we look at Maslow’s hierarchy of self-actualization, it is founded upon physiological needs. This step contains the biological necessities of life such as sustenance, oxygen, warmth, water, and so forth. Without these basic building blocks of life, the human body simply cannot survive and will wither. The next building block is that of Safety. 

This includes shelter, security, and health. Above that is Love and Belonging. This is where I believe a father and mother figure play the largest role. This step includes a sense of connection, sense of belonging, outpourings of love, and intimacy. If these aspects are not found, the individual cannot progress up the pyramid. Although it is a simple memory, a sense of belonging and love that I felt from my mother and father was when I returned home after a long day of school and extracurricular activities and felt too tired to sleep. I couldn’t clear my mind, so my mom and dad took turns rubbing lavender oil they’d gotten from Young Living on my scalp and through my hair in order to relax my body and allow me to sleep. 

If such simple examples of love and belonging are conveyed to the individual, they are then able to progress to the higher level of Esteem. This includes self-image and perception, recognition, and freedom. Once these are achieved, the individual knows that they can achieve great things and the level of Self-Actualization can be attained. Although I fully believe that this can be accomplished without a family based unit, and self-actualization can be accomplished by anyone striving for it; I also believe that the level of Love and Belonging will be found greatly enhanced by healing in the home.