On the first page of Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy says “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The Eyres’ interpretation of that statement is that there are certain elements that are present in all mostly-happy and functional families, and even though every family is unique, all families that seem to work and to last somehow manage to develop each of these critical elements: commitment, communication, purpose, priorities, rules, responsibility, traditions, heritage and roots, and the teaching of values and correct principles.
Some years ago, in their book The Happy Family, Richard and Linda discussed these common elements at length. On their latest Eyres on the Road podcast, they challenge listeners to “Use this Pandemic-given extra time at home with kids as an intermission in which we evaluate our families and decide what we will do better and differently during the upcoming second act of our lives.”