“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” Deuteronomy 30:19

Life is not worth much today. In many places it has so little value that you can kill someone for any reason.  It is part of the violence that continues to increase and create an unhealthy society which has lost the essential values of human beings.

Every day about 8,000 people commit suicide around the world.  They are all ages and both sexes, but those between the ages of 13 and 29 represent the largest percentage.  Without going to deep into the reasons, I think it is vital to learn to love life and to choose to live well as the Deuteronomy text instructs us.

It seems to me that parents have a significant task in teaching their children to love life.  I suggest that parents should work towards the following:

  1. Parents and children should learn to love nature, appreciate the beauty of the colors, trees, flowers and animals. Respect it, care for it, and enjoy it.
  2. Learn that though life is frequently difficult and painful, we must live fully. We must face problems and obstacles bravely and optimistically.  We should not complain too much.  Life is beautiful and is made up of both good and bad moments.
  3. Learn to have a spirit of fighting for things. Not giving up. While we are still breathing, there is still hope.
  4. The most important lesson is to understand that our lives come from God as a demonstration of his love, so we should care for what he created.
  5. God gave us the bravery, intelligence, wisdom, strength and love for life to care for others and to love what we do. His perfect love takes away our fear of living.
  6. Choose to live well. Many live badly because of their poor decisions. To live well is to love what we do and to love God above all things.

If you do these things, you will learn to love life and to live well.

May God help you put into practice what you learned.

Dr. Miguel and Irene Garita, Family Care Ministry, Mesoamerica Region