Cherish the time you have with your family because we never know what life has in store for us.
How do you stay connected with your family? Some people use video programs like Skype and Facetime to stay connected with their children and grandchildren and other family members. Many people use Facebook or other social media tools to stay connected. I have been very fortunate to have most of my family within a couple of hours of drive time and see them at least once a year and my immediate family three to four times a year.
I cherish the moments I have with each member of my family because I have witnessed too many times where a family member will allow simple misunderstandings to escalate into years of separation which makes it awkward at family events for everyone. But the hardest part is when you hold that grudge for so long and lose the opportunity to apologize for your part in the misunderstanding. I found it easier was easier to ask for forgiveness for my part and let it go for two reasons.
- To keep the love flowing between us, preserve the relationship and keep the lines of communication open.
- To not allow our indifference to cause other family members to feel uncomfortable when we are all together.
I sometimes take for granted the relationship I have with my family which lives about 5 hours away from me. I did not realize when I hugged my cousin goodbye at Christmas last year that it would be the last time I see her again on this earth. I received the news last Friday that my cousin who was more like a sister had died after a ten year battle with cancer. I was shocked when I received the news because I had been praying and hoping her body would force her cancer into remission just as it had done before but that was not the case this time. I immediately wanted to look at photos of her smiling, laughing and enjoying herself because I found this to be a healthy way for me to grieve, knowing that she is now out of pain.
Cherish the time you have with your family
Each time I have experienced a death in our family I am moved to reflect on the relationships I have with every member and question if I told them lately that I love them or just dropped a note to say I was thinking about them.
Life is too short to allow petty things to break the bonds we have with each other. Family is supposed to be a safe place you can run to when you need a shoulder to cry on, but if we let little things separate us we not only lose the connection with that person but breaks down that safety net.
Please find it in your heart to forgive the person who hurt you and by doing so you free yourself.
Please leave a comment about your experience with forgiving family.