Family
As life goes on, I become more and more aware of the importance of family and the strength I gain from being from being with people who are the pure embodiment of love without demands or requirements. This can come from places you never expected - a relative who has always been more at arms length or children who teach us things every day with their enthusiasm for the moment and seemingly unending compassion.
I am fortunate. I have always had family in my life that told me I can do anything – to reach as high as I desired – and if I fell short, well, no big deal – try again or go in a different direction. It never mattered. It never changed who I was and their unconditional love and support allowed me just to reach again. I understand now how much freedom and calm that kind of support provides. I think I took advantage of it in my (some would say misspent) youth. Now, I just hope I can provide it to my children and others in my life.
I find it interesting that what we learn from others and the support we gain from others can cross n0n-traditional family boundaries. I am divorced and if I played by “the rules”, my ex-wife would have little to do with my thoughts except for working out details of when I pick up and bring back the kids. Not so fast, this woman (she knows who she is) has turned into one of the great friends of my life and I still get inspiration from how she leads her life and raises our kids.
So, for all my family out there, I am thinking about you…
- My Mother – a rock of support and endless encouragement
- My Father – Full of surprises, knowledge, and yes, even inspiration
- My Children – An endless supply of happiness, reminders of how to live each day, and a source of incredible optimism for the future. Love and joy personified
- My ExWife – Strength and compassion – Nobody has more of either and nobody has taught me more about both
- My ExInlaws – Karen, Dick, Rick and Melissa – A perfect model of what is means to be a close family.
- My Cousins – Comfortable times, easy conversations and shared memories
- My Aunts/Uncles – More examples of family standing by each other in good times and difficult times.
It is easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget these things, these people but I work hard to come back to this whenever I can.