Family. What is family? Every family is so unique and dynamic and there is no family that is better or less than the next. Some families are small and some families are large. My family is small and when I say family, I mean the family I see on special occasions, not the family I see at weddings and funerals. I come from a household of four, my parents and then my sister and I. If I was to include my dogs, okay that'd be 6. I'm going to exhale the guilt I feel right now for not including my precious doggies in that household count. Going a little off topic here, but as I blog this I've got my puppy (3 years old) Lemon standing on the desk behind me, watching me, and the mommy doggy, Lexie, under the computer desk at my feet. I am so spoiled to have them by my side all the time, that I forget what it feels like to not have them around. I don't want to know that feeling. And I guess this is what it's like with our family. Every night after work, I know I'm going to go home and my sister will be in her room doing something artsy fartsy, my mom will be watching dancing with the stars, biggest loser, or so you think you can dance. And my dad passed out on the couch in the most awkward position, that everytime I can't help but think of how I could adjust his body so he can properly align himself to not feel achy when he wakes up to go to bed. I don't know a life other then this and the thought of anything other then this is not acceptable. I don't even open myself up to it. Where am I going with this? Our families are our roots, our ground, our foundation and there's nothing we can change about how it has all come about and how everyone landed in our families, but what we can do is accept what is and love each member with gratitiude for how they have contributed to our lives. In The Sacred Contracts by Carolyn Myss, she speaks about how before we all came down on earth, we all shook hands and signed a contract with the people in our lives to give to us or take from us, to love us or to hurt us etc. I signed a contract with my mother and father to have me at a young age and to struggle finacially, to then teach me all that they have taught me. The contract probably includes that we would butt heads for most of our arguments, and that in many ways I would be teaching them all that they need to know about life. It's such a powerfully spritual book, and quite a perspective Carolyn Myss has. Check it out.
Love and accept your families as they are, because you wouldn't be you without them. Cherish and bless them just as they cherish and bless you in their own unique way.
What is family?
Family is, looking in the mirror at ourselves.
You write beautifully about the power of gratitude - to be thankful for the family we have, to accept them for who they are, for really we chose them to teach us certain things. Thank you, also, for sharing the book, The Sacred Contracts with us. I've always felt that before we are born, we chat with the people we're going to meet (and share our lives with). But I love the idea that a contract is formed with each of these people.
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved how you began this post speaking about your love for your dogs, Lemon and Lexie! How you can't imagine not having them in your life. Your observations about your family was beautifully written, and it's given me an even greater desire to appreciate every member of my family! :)