American-Exceptionalism-10.5x10-PRINT-10.5 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 13
The Heart Of The Nation
The American Family
“The happiest moments of my life have been the
few which I have past at home in the bosom of
my family.” — Thomas Jefferson, the third
President of the United States to his friend, Frank
Willis, in 1790.
From
the start, the cornerstone of our great country
has been the American family. Strong families are the
building blocks of our communities – the substance of
American life.
The pioneers who first settled the land and those who
centuries later pushed west to expand its frontiers were
impelled to risk the dangers of the new world by their
determination to build something for their families and
the generations to follow. They stared down the
challenges they faced — illness, starvation, unknown
land, and unseen forces — and took their chances.
society, shared love has been the common bond that
ties families together. Family is where values are
learned, traditions are established, and happiness
thrives.
We Americans have always known that the beating
heart of our country is the family. We see it in the good
times when we sit down to family meals to share our
news of the day or to make each other laugh. And we
see it in the hard times, too, when we comfort and
console each other. Family is the currency that makes
our country rich; that makes America great.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does
not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Loving, united families had the best chance of surviving
– then and now. In the early days of America, men,
women, and children were involved in the day-to-day
work on the homestead, whether it was taking care of
the livestock or bringing home the harvest. Over
decades and throughout the evolution of American
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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