Editorial

Some of us remember Fr. Patrick Peyton's advice, "The family that prays together stays together." That is still sound advice, but recent research encourages us to add, "The family that eats together stays healthier in body and spirit."

Most families get together for dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas. A recent article in Parade magazine reported that 76 percent of families eat together on Sundays for dinner.

Not a priority. But only one out of four families eats together every night. Even on Friday nights, only about half of today's families sit down for dinner.

It seems as if many families don't make eating together a priority. Instead, the kids grab some food on their way to sports or activities with their friends. Husbands and wives wave at each other as they head for the health club or meetings.

Benefits of family dinners. Yet research shows that there are benefits of family dinners that go far beyond nutrition, said the Parade article. A recent study from the University of Minnesota reported that teens who had regular meals with their parents had better grades and were less likely to be depressed.

A Harvard study said children are less likely to be overweight if they eat with their families. Researchers at Emory University found that preteens have higher self-esteem and better peer relations if share dinner with their parents.

Family conversation. What do family members talk about at dinner? Over three-fourths report talking about their day. Others discuss favorite movies and television shows.

Almost one-fourth talk about religious or spiritual topics. Meal times provide a great opportunity for discussions about faith issues.

Making time for family meals. When our children were growing up, my husband and I tried to have a family meal every night. Sometimes it meant eating earlier or later than we would prefer, but we made an effort to sit down and eat with our kids. We made a rule: no television, radio, or phone calls during dinner. We sat at the table until everyone finished eating.

Now that our children are grown, my husband and I try to sit down for pre-dinner conversation and hors d'oevres every night. We adjust our schedules to spend time with each other.

When our children and other relatives visit, we enjoy a pre-dinner social time and a sit-down meal. Sometimes our gatherings are at home, sometimes at a restaurant. But we appreciate the time we spend together.

Obviously we have been on the right track. Eating together has nourished our bodies and our souls. I would encourage all families to turn off the media and make time to eat together - not only during the holidays but throughout the year. A blessed Thanksgiving to all!

Mary C. Uhler

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Healthy Wisconsin = taxpayer funded abortions

To the editor:

Healthy Wisconsin, a measure designed to provide health care coverage for all Wisconsinites, will soon be introduced as a bill separate from the state budget. This measure would require that taxpayers pay for every Wisconsin abortion, as many times as a woman wants one, at any time during pregnancy.

The bill's main author, Senator Jon Erpenbach, claims that our state law which prohibits the use of state tax dollars for abortions for low-income women would apply to Healthy Wisconsin. Not so.

According to Erpenbach, Healthy Wisconsin will work the same as the current state employee health care plan does. When James Doyle was Attorney General, he issued an opinion stating that state employee health care dollars are no longer taxpayer funds once they go into the state employee trust fund. Under Doyle's opinion, you have been forced to pay for state employee abortions for many years.

Erpenbach can't have it both ways. If we have to pay for state employee abortions now, and Healthy Wisconsin will work the same as the state employee plan, then logic tells us that we will be forced to pay for everyone's abortions under Healthy Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Right to Life strongly opposes Healthy Wisconsin, and so should you. Abortions are certain to increase if Healthy Wisconsin becomes law - and the loss of those 9,580 plus human lives will be on your dollar.

Help fight this anti-life measure. Be a voice for the unborn by joining E-Voice at www.WisconsinRighttoLife.org/E-Voice

Barbara Lyons, Executive Director,
Wisconsin Right to Life, Milwaukee