It's time to take back Sundays

Dear Editor:

In answer to Jeff's question, "How do you spend your Sunday?" I'd like to respond with how I would like to spend my Sunday and how I find myself spending my Sunday.

Years ago, my family spent our Sunday like this: dress up, go to church, have breakfast together, either at my mother's or in a local restaurant. We would gather as a family and together share our week's happenings, good and bad. We worked out solutions to problems and celebrated the good news together. We kept the communication lines open. Then, in the afternoon we would watch an Eagles game together and then again gather around the dinner table for a delicious family dinner. They were the good old Sundays.

If you are a grandparent, you probably have the same struggle that my husband and I have. We have eight grandchildren who are involved in outside activities, and we find ourselves pulled in different directions on Sunday mornings. Our family lost our Sunday. There's soccer, football, and lacrosse practices and games. Of course we love our grandchildren and enjoy attending these events, but now it has become necessary to attend these events on Saturday and Sunday.

We've discussed this a lot, because we find ourselves planning our Sunday around these events. This is wrong. It is impossible for families to keep Sunday a holy day for family, faith, friends and then fun. Sunday is the day we give thanks to God for our wonderful family, and the gifts we are blessed with. God tells us many times in Scripture how necessary and important it is for us to take this time to rest with him. As our creator, he knows what it is that we need. Why aren't we listening to him? There is a simple solution to this. We grandparents and parents have to take our Sunday back.

Sure the games are enjoyable, but why not schedule them, keeping in mind that Sundays are holy. Let us remind the schedulers of these practices and games that we need Sunday for our family first, and then time for fun. I am sure they would spend more time with their families also. It's just a matter of prioritizing things, in the right order: family, faith, and then friends and fun on Sunday.

Nancy Matsko

Kresgeville