Ethics teaches that our first responsibility is to ourselves. That means that each of our children need to prepare to support themselves. Our secondary responsibility as parents is to ensure that our children will be able to support themselves. This normally includes the ability to provide their own food and shelter. If our children are disabled, we need to ensure that they are taken care of. The “Family Home” can provide a refuge for disabled children and all children during tough economic times. Every 100 years we get all new people.
My grandparents had 12 children and lived in a large home the bought in 1905 for $5000. The oldest 2 boys died in World War II. The youngest 3 boys had muscular atrophy and were disabled. My grandfather was a Physician and made a good living. The family invested in a 4 unit apartment nearby and bought the house next door and converted it into a 2 unit apartment. My grandfather died in 1961 at age 75. My grandmother died in 1969 at age 86. One of my aunts continued to take care of her 3 disabled brothers until their deaths around age 50. Two of my cousins bought the homes and live there with their families. I grew up in a house across the street from these homes.
We now have the Family Home in Dunwoody Ga. Our 6 children are all grown and working. We have provided shelter, loans and bail-outs as needed over the years. We paid off our mortgage 20 years ago and have no plans to move. Our home continues as the “party house” for family gatherings and serves as a large, private old folks home for us. We enjoy this home. We have upgraded and maintained our home over the last 40 years and have done much of the work ourselves.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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