Down Home Values?

Posted on April 22, 2009 
Filed Under Marriage, Parenting, Social Concern, Spiritual Life

I’ve really enjoyed reading Peggy Noonan’s writings, especially here weekly column in the Wall Street Journal. What a gifted thinker and insightful person!

Her most recent article offered readers a thoughtful look at a shift in values and priorities by many Americans. Feeling the economic pinch, she shows how some families are cutting back, even in rather drastic ways, and putting family first. The opening illustration tells it all:

The Wojtowicz family—36-year-old Patrick, his wife Melissa, 37, and their 15-year-old daughter Gabrielle—have become, in the words of reporter Judy Keen, “21st century homesteaders,” raising pigs and chickens, planning a garden and installing a wood furnace.

Here’s another report about the same kind of reaction to difficult times. For one family, things are pretty different these days. They are slowing down:

…life for the Slomkowskis has changed since the recession. Now, the children have one activity each. Gone are pricey vacations and long day trips. And if daughter Rory wants a new dress, she raids her piggy bank.

Do these trends resonate with you? Are you seeing the same things where you live, or is something else going on in your community? Are you considering a significant change in the way your family is living from day to day?

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