Spirituality and family well-being

Pages:196-198
Prarthna Swani (Department of Psychology, S. R. Government College for Women, Amritsar)

Spirituality refers to the search for and experiential elements of the sacred, ultimate meaning, higher-consciousness, and transcendence (Friedman & MacDonald, 2002). Emmons (2000) argued that spirituality can be viewed as a form of intelligence because it predicts functioning and offers capabilities that enable people to solve problems and attain valuable goals. In other words, spirituality is based on abilities that produce valuable outcomes. Research suggests a positive relationship between spirituality, life purpose and satisfaction, health, and family well-being. Family life is supposed to be about forming persons– parents and children growing together, learning from each other, supporting one another, in living out a shared mission and goals – all of which has to do with spirituality. Without a strong sense of spiritual well-being, families too easily become mere collections of individuals living under the same roof. Fostering our family’s spiritual well-being is what enables us to be more than a bunch of people sharing a room but feeling lonely just the same. It is what enables us to celebrate the love that comes from God’s own heart, and discover–as a family– all the ways that life is a gift, and to help each other become everything God created us to be. The present article earnestly attempts to explore how spirituality enhances physical and mental health of the family members, thereby promoting family well-being.