Focus on the Family

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It was pouring down rain all morning. The last thing I expected was a knock on the door. I answered it, and there were standing four boys. My son's friends (at least three of them, I didn't recognize the fourth). I asked them what they were doing out on a day such as this, even though it was the first official day of summer. "We are locked out of our houses," they said. "Well, where are your parent's?," I replied. "They are at work, can we stay here or go to the gym?" I told them to wait and then went inside to retrieve the gym key. As I handed the key over to them, I shook my head in disbelief. How do these parents get away with leaving their children outside in the rain while they are at work? This wasn't as if this were the first time this had happened. I could not imagine leaving any of my children outside with the door locked, even in the most pristine weather. What are these parents thinking? Are they not worried about their children, where they are during the day or what they are doing? Or have they just come to depend on the hearts of others to take care of their responsibilities? It is clear to me that their focus is directed only towards themselves and not on their children. When did we as a society lose our focus on our families? I have heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a family, not get your neighbor to raise your family.