Recent articles over the past couple years have have decried the setbacks to women as a result of the pandemic, particularly regarding income loss and decreased work participation. Aside from the notion that a decline in female workforce participation must always mean an unintentional loss rather than the result of women’s intentional decision-making, recent workplace measures from the past ten years have enabled mothers to work, and demonstrate the advancements women and families have made in spite of an economic system inimical to family flourishing.

The Sound of Music is one of the most beloved musicals of all time, with its memorable story, songs, characters, and stunning scenery. While the film takes many liberties, it is based on the true story of the von Trapp family and their flight from Austria during the Anschluss. The real Maria von Trapp abandoned the path to becoming a nun, though she only overcame her hesitancy to marry Captain Georg von Trapp because of his children. Maria herself was in many ways unlike the breezy, free-spirited woman suggested by Julie Andrews. She was a devout Roman Catholic matriarch, loving yet tough and uncompromising in matters of faith and family.

Many of us will ring in 2022 with New Year’s Eve parties, champagne, and the Times Square ball drop. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard the song “Auld Lang Syne” and have no idea what it’s about, much less why we still play it. Why does this old-time song continue to be a favorite on New Year’s Eve despite its antiquated title, and what’s the point of singing it?

We all need community – people to live life alongside for better and for worse. For young adults, the transition between childhood and settled adulthood can be fraught with concerns about community. Despite attending college and landing their first jobs, young adults are still often unsure of where they wish to live and work in the long run, let alone whether or with whom they want to start a family. They are often painfully aware of the fact that until they discover their spouse or lifelong career, most relationships and jobs are not “the one.” This is exacerbated by what has been described by some as a lack of commitment (especially when the promise of better prospects call members of a would-be community elsewhere). Unfortunately, this state of affairs makes it difficult to stay rooted in place, and thereby to narrow down one’s options.

Since the 1960’s, an increasing number of mothers and fathers have favored “time-intensive, child-centered” parenting approaches. Intensive parenting is a favored approach for parents who want to be involved with their children’s lives by guiding them, spending time with them, and preparing them for adulthood, with the understanding that these are also lifelong relationships. Though this hands-on vision of parenting has at times strengthened family unity, the stakes have been so raised much for family relationships to succeed at a time when there is a rapidly-expanding generational gap in values, politics, and expectations.

As students returned to campus this fall, many of them sat through orientation weeks with presentations that included guidance on safe sex practices. Foregrounded by concepts such as “consent” and “sex positivity,” there is often little to no vision of what healthy relationships look like, and no question as to whether physical intimacy should be a part of that picture. Universities continue to pursue this type of programming even as Gen Z becomes increasingly aware that concepts like “consent” and “sex positivity,” however much they comport with the progressive policies they support, have little to offer when it comes to finding real love.

If you’re just starting school, you’re probably thinking about a lot – perhaps you’re picking classes to add or drop, choosing a major, starting independent work, or thinking about life after graduation. If you’re a Love and Fidelity Network student, you may also be wondering how to start or grow your student group, organize orientation activities and schedule events. Whether you’re at the beginning or end of your college journey, we want to help you discover and refine your personal mission this semester. We also hope to inspire you, as a friend of our network, to dream up new ways of sharing your beliefs about family, marriage, and sexual integrity with peers.

Glimpse the “family planning” aisle at your local pharmacy, and you may get the impression that the phrase strictly refers to contraception, enhancement, or pleasure. This would be on par with the dictionary definition of the term, which is “the practice of controlling the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births, particularly by means of artificial contraception or voluntary sterilization,” and its secondary definition, “artificial contraception.” Whether you associate family planning with contraception or not, everyone can agree that family planning is ultimately about relationships, what we do in them and for them. Therefore, we should learn to view family planning as more than just deciding whether or not to get pregnant, and consider it in the full scope of its relational meaning.