Welcome to this week's episode of the series "Iranian Family". Nowadays, rising living expenses have made individuals cautious, and eating out may prove to be expensive. You think that instead of spending money on eating out, you could buy a household appliance, or you could buy a garment for your children.

However, if you knew the positive impacts of accompanying your family to a restaurant or a park, on the reinforcement of familial ties, you would be prepared to spend less on the necessities of life, in order to maintain your mental health and boost your morale by keeping the company of your family members in recreational activities, such as going to parks.

Last week, we reviewed the rights of families within Islamic Republic of Iran's Constitution. After the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution, growth of ethical virtues and spiritual development of the family were focused upon, by the sacred Islamic system and the Leader of Islamic Revolution. This in turn granted further depth and meaning to relationships of spouses. In according to the first clause of the 3^rd Tenet of Islamic Republic of Iran's Constitution; one of the duties of the sacred Islamic system is to establish an appropriate environment for growth of ethical virtues based on faith in God, piety, and campaign against all forms of corruption.

On the topic of family, late Imam underlined that we are dealing with two equal human beings, who maintain different physical and psychological features. These differences are such that when they accompany each other, they play a complementary role, and upon establishment of a bond between man and woman, a family is established.

Late Imam strongly believed that family is the best environment for development of human beings and attainment of ethical virtues, and that family plays a decisive role in one's self-growth and purification of one's soul. Late Imam also put emphasis on the pivotal role of women within families in upbringing children. Hence, mothers should be honored and admired; and implementation of house chores is among the most important tasks.

Holy Quran introduces home as an environment which is filled with amity, and kindness. So family should be a base for establishing peace of mind, removing misdeeds, dispelling concerns, and paving the way for receiving divine blessings and grace.

One of the important aspects of ethical virtues is selflessness. The cultural background of the family should set the stage for promotion of selflessness among the members of the family, and should provide an appropriate environment for maintenance and reinforcement of emotional bonds among the members of family.

As the result of growth of ethical virtues within family, the health of the family, and ultimately the community's health is guaranteed. Children are brought up in an environment filled with ethical virtues; and familial relationships take shape within an appropriate and humane framework. This important point was clearly evident in late Imam's familial life. Despite of his numerous and important tasks, late Imam always attached significant importance to spending time with his family. Based on the memoirs of late Imam's spouse and other members of late Imam's family, late Imam always especially honored and admired his respectable wife.

Marriage and a having a good spouse are divine blessings which we should be grateful for. However, sometimes individuals do not realize these blessings, their entire lives.

The Leader of Islamic Revolution notes: "Gratitude is not limited to expression of gratefulness. Gratefulness for a blessing can be defined as realizing that blessing, and knowing that the blessing has been bestowed on the individual by God, and that he should use that blessing and behave toward the blessing in a manner which would please God. Marriage is a God-given blessing. God Almighty has provided a good spouse for you. So you should be grateful for this blessing."

MR/ME