We all have come from something, from someone’s, from some time. As a parent, child, sibling, niece, step-parent, grandchild, spouse, half-sibling, cousin, step-child and so on, I have experienced most, in not all the roles in the spectrum within a family there are.
For now though, the way of loving everything within the role that consumes most of my days falls under that of being a parent, specifically of a parent that’s experiencing the impending loss and ongoing loss of my children.
The kids are 21 and 14 now and the picture I’m sharing is from just 4 years or so ago, when even just that short a time back the world was very different, and many were happier than they are now.
I’ve realized in some part why people continue to have children, especially within the same family – everyone wants happiness and love. Do they want everything else that comes along with children? Maybe not. Still, I know that I fondly enjoy memories of what or when was good with the children and it’s those memories that I employ to help see me through the more challenging times I face as their parent; like now, when the older one is moving 6 hours away and the younger one is deep in a personal challenge that doesn’t allow for me to be welcome.
Do I love everything about this? Quite frankly, no.
Am I learning to love everything about this? More slowly than I’d like, yes.
So today I look out and wonder about all the rest of you and what it may be that exists in your family everything that you may not be loving. Take however long you can to write about or contemplate this until you’ve reached a point where you can be open or just able to love that which has previously been impossible to consider. Look deeper at what it is that’s blocking your ability to embrace that which you previously may not have been able to and ask yourself if whatever it is that has turned your heart away from this family member or members is a limitation in them or in you. Maybe it’s both and that’s ok.
Everything can be loved. Even the painful things. Even if just a little.
TimeSpaceOne 