In addition, however, every society requires a critical mass of families that fit the traditional ideal, both to meet the needs of most children and to serve as a model for other adults who are raising children in difficult settings. We are at risk of losing that critical mass in America. 8 Barbara Bush shares the concern for children and families in today's society. In her public speeches and in her example, she encourages parents and grandparents to take care of their own families and then to go out to the community, and to give beyond one's own immediate family. In her book, Grandparents Are Forever, Carolyn Gutowski details what grandparents have to give as nurturers, family historians, mentors, models of aging and as sages.
Grandparents are forever when they communicate a special quality-love.
This author too, encourages grandparents in the wealth they have to give to their own children and grandchildren and to others as well. Societies that acknowledge wisdom and value in their aged are strong societies. Robert Bellah adds his voice to the growing chorus of educated, sensitive people shining a torch on the centrality of the traditional family for society. While the educators, sociologists, psychologists, and politicians noted in this chapter share a respect for individual choice, upon examination of the issue of teaching an ideal of family, there is no escaping our shared conclusion. The future of society rests upon what we teach individuals and families.