In Egypt on January 27th more than 300 people , including about one hundred children of all ages, took part in the family day entitled “The Family; source of Hope and Joy” to celebrate the 50 years of the founding of New Families.
A welcoming dance which expressed the joys, dreams and proposals to build a better world by living mutual love opened the programme.
The presentation of the story of Chiara Lubich and the birth of the New families Moviment in July 1967 followed by the special greeting of the Central Secretariat of the Movement to all the families of the world, started the day with a global scope, focusing on the model of the “Holy Family” as a proposal of life for today’s families.
The programme continued with a succession of topics, including dialogue within the couple to communication between generations.The experience of a family made up of a young married couple, their children and grandfather highlighted the importance of listening,of respect and love which make us free from preconception and eases the relationship between parents and children.
An in depth presentation of the theme of pain and suffering was seen in various facets and its effects on the family was consolidated by the testimony of Wagih who shares the suffering of his invalid wife who is unable to speak because of a stroke. “God is love, you have to believe it, “ he said” even in suffering our relationship has grown”.
The couple, who have two sons and a daughter, through the words of Wagih explained “Initially we felt we were lost..then little by little we found the solution together on how to cook, to wash floors, to clean the house, to be with his mother, to help our youngest with his studies….We saw how pain can turn into love.
Wagih then embraced his wife, and she was helped to her feet by the other families on the stage, the strong relationship between them resting on a renewed choice of God.
The contact of his wife and children with New Families and the power of love,gave a couple on the brink of separation the strength to restart , “We are very different. We would spend days, weeks and sometimes months not talking..but everthing changed when with the kids we decided to live the spirituality seriously with the help of other families. To take the first step, to forgive, to see the positive in others…and our life has changed. “
The everyday concrete experiences of a couple from Sohag, a city south of Cairo,testified their understanding that children do not only need to be loved but to have parents who love each other.
This point has helped many of those present to look at themselves as parents and especially as a couple and to find solutions and true friends who share difficulties and help one another.
The afternoon ended with various workshops with some challenging issues such as: self-esteem, communication and openness to others, how to overcome and not be discouraged by difficulties. There were light moments of dance and art to which the children brought their joyful contribution.
