May 16, 2010
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma

How long has it been since you had a heart-to-heart talk with your loved ones? In response to deteriorating family relationships in contemporary society and the growing distance between family members, Taiwan Association for Happy Marriages began a campaign recently by urging Taiwanese people to sign a "7- Minute Blessings Card."

The association also held a forum on May 4th based on the theme "Come Back Home, Love Your Home." During the forum, organizers showed the card and explained its purpose and functions.

The card's purpose is to promote more interaction and dialogue between family members, which strengthens marriages and families. On one side of the card is an inscription that reads, "I want to give you a 7-minute deposit." On the other side of the card is another inscription that reads, "I need a 7-minute withdrawal from you."

The association urged people to use this card as a way of increasing the amount of time they spend with their families, nurture relationships, and talk with one another.

This is how the card can be used: Those who want more time with a family member may flash the "withdrawal" side of the card to the person they want to spend time with, and those who wish to reach out to a family member may flash the "deposit" side of the card.

"The 7-Minute Blessings Card doesn't say you only need to interact with family members for 7 minutes," said the association's director, Chang Kun-chi. "Seven actually represents wholeness in the Bible. We hope this card can help families become wholesome and marriages become happier by reminding people to set aside time."

According to one Bunun pastor, Aborigine people are taught from a young age to treat one another with humility and kindness, and emphasize emotional health. One of the ways family members cultivate close relationships with one another is through family meals.

Furthermore, whenever there are conflicts between people of the same age, elders in the family or in the clan are called to help resolve conflicts and mediations must always end with a "reconciliation toast." That is one of the ways Aborigines maintain tight-knit communities.

Methodist Bishop Enoch C.H. Kuey, said relationships between parents and children and husbands and wives rely on honesty and communication to make them strong. He wholeheartedly supported this "7-Minute Blessings Card" initiative as a meaningful way of strengthening relationships.

After this forum, Taiwan Association for Happy Marriages is scheduled to tour 19 cities across Taiwan and hold 22 forums. It hopes this "7-Minute Blessings Card" initiative will help thousands of families become happier and healthier.

Taiwan Church News