The special guest, invited to lead the seminar, was brother Duraisamy Sureshkumar, the Vice-president of the General Conference of our church.
Initially, the seminar was designed for married couples, but as the great majority of the participants were young people, the speaker adapted his lectures to his audience, speaking about the youth relationships with their parents, friends, etc.
The core of these presentations was that every child relates differently to their parents according to their age. So, when they are very little they trust their parents completely, but as they grow and become teenagers they start to trust themselves more, thinking they are more powerful, clever, and capable of doing anything. Moreover, they consider their parents to be old-fashioned and little adapted to the present society. Fortunately, this critical period does not last forever, the youth starting to understand that their parents are still wiser, with richer life experience, knowing more and better. Considering this, parents should be patient, understanding with their off-springs, pleading to God for guidance, and avoiding endless “sermons” and scolding.
In the same time, children should not intentionally manifest these critical age characteristics, excusing themselves saying “this is meant to be”, but be aware that God bids them to obey their parents even during this period of their lives. Their character is being developed in these years too, so they can learn precious lessons of patience, forbearance and kindness. These lessons may prove themselves very precious during the years to follow, when the youth are called to “suffer” not only their parents, but also parents in law, bosses and other people impossible to avoid.
After delivering some lectures on friendship, courtship, and marriage counseling, brother Sureshkumar also held the initially planned seminar on family relationship.
Different phases of this relationship were presented: adaptation phase, then the period when the children are little, the period when they grow and start to feel independent, the period in which the parents are concerned about their future, and, finally, old age period.
Knowing the characteristics of each period, the couples will be able to face difficult moments and unpleasant events.
