FAMILY

What if we could connect with how simple and abundant family love can be?

“How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart

And give to this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being.

Otherwise
We all remain
Too frightened.”

– Hafiz

 

Most of Trudy’s seven children will be at her home tonight. Grandchildren will be there too.

Trudy, a stranger to me until today, has invited me to stay at her ranch. While I was driving back West on my road trip across America, alone in my thoughts, a friend called and asked where I was. I told him headed toward Nebraska. He said, “Then you’ve gotta stop by Trudy’s. I grew up down the road from her.” Trudy explains to me now that, in the old days, you’d always ask visitors to stay.

As Trudy and I collect eggs in her barn, she tells me of a pain that saddens her every day: One of her sons has become estranged from the family.

The Red Rose of Nebraska

Later, as the steaks are grilling, the family sits around this table with extra leaves pulled out so everyone can fit, talking.

One sister says, “My toenails need painting. Who’d like to paint my toenails?” Another sister says, “I will!”

In the living room, the woman props her foot on her sister’s lap. The sister begins to paint her toenails red.

We eat steaks on paper plates, and laugh so hard –about life, ourselves and family –we wipe our eyes with paper napkins.

Although one family member remains absent, I look around and think, every family has its thorns, but look at how they love. How simple and abundant love can be -if we let it. If we just say, “My toenails need painting.”

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Where the Spirit of Family Lives

***

As we advance in our own lives…

1. Can we connect with how simple and abundant family love can be?
2. What if, when we sensed any separation from those we love, we gave what we wanted to receive? Overcame the feeling, and sent out something stronger, enveloping them with love?
3. At your next family gathering, what is one quality you can be to open the door to showing how simple and abundant family love can be?Whether you choose compassion, gratefulness, openness or whichever way of being you decide, celebrate that you started. (Someone might even blog about you! )

Enjoy –

Jillian Robinson is a Certified High Performance Coach whose passion is to help people live their best selves with the consistentfeelings of full engagement, joy and confidence. She loves to interview and coach changemakers and parents committed to positively impact young peoples’ lives. Her vision is that, someday, personal development will be taught as commonly as math and science. When you participate in her programs, you become part of that positive change.