"Happiness is never having to stop to think if you are. If you need to stop to consider if you are, it will probably have passed you by. Being happy is best experienced when you are bringing a family up and all of your spare time is devoted to doing things together. It is these experiences that the mind of the growing child saves and treasures until the end of their days; doing things together!"
Of all the things that I will save for certain in my failing memory bank are my early experiences with my family; growing up with my parents and six brothers and sisters, doing things together, growing older as one unit. Every Sunday was reserved for family walks down the fields; chasing hares we could never catch and inhaling more fresh air in one afternoon than modern children can breathe in a month. There would always be a family flask of tea to hand and homemade sandwiches to take away any pangs of hunger before the long walk back home and tea time arrived.
I always remember my Irish grandmother telling me that everyone should bring love into their home, for that is where our love for each other starts. Until we find love with our own blood brothers and sisters we will not find it in any extended family we have of our own. My own brothers and sisters are bits of my childhood that can never be lost or regretted.
Having a happy family start is so important for being a happy person in later life and in making better husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. A happy upbringing enables us to view the world as merely being a larger family and reminds us that we should never run the danger of drawing our family circle too small.
Often, the hardships and difficulties faced by so many of the world's population can seem overwhelming to one's senses. In truth, though all positive efforts matter, the world's problems can often seem so huge and intractable that there seems very little we can do to promote world peace and bring an end to all strife. In such circumstances, don't blame yourself for a nation's ills or the many wars and internal strife across the globe. It is far better you worry less about tomorrow and go home and love your family today." William Forde: April 15th, 2018.