Well, it’s Christmas season and many family members are flying into town to hang out for the holidays.And, like most families, there are going to be relatives that don’t get along. You will endure the one sibling that has always annoyed you. The obnoxious aunt. The uber-religious lady. The squabbling, the fights, the strong opinions that cannot be modified. It’s all part of being in a family. We are all imperfect creatures. Your irritating aspects are no less irritating than my aspects, yet you give me a little grace. We may not always agree, but we don’t always have to agree. We have one frightfully short existence on this Earth and it’s getting shorter every day.There will be a time coming when that one relative is no longer alive and you sort of wish they were. In other words, God put us in a family to love one another. As the big day approaches and folks become a little more kind, more patient, a little more forgiving, why don’t we improve the situation even further by adding in more love? This Christmas why not be the one to extend that love? They are your family and you gotta love ’em!
At the end of the day, indeed the end of every day, what we are really after is love. We want to feel love and share love. We want the warmth and comfort that love brings. It is easy to shower our love on the children, but not always on our brother or our sister. Family members don’t always do the right thing. Sometimes they are harsh and nasty, likely reflecting their own feelings. We feel as if we can’t let our guard down, lest they gain an advantage over us. And, in so doing, we close off our hearts and harden towards them. Instead of bringing love, we bring agitation and upset. We are like a lion on the hunt poised to pounce at any moment. And, you know what? Someone or something got us to that place. The fights we fight are never between flesh and blood. Our fight is with what is behind the conflict; the one seeking to divide our family and mar our relationships. There’s a reason the Christmas season is so highly charged. Yet, we can help by deciding to be the ones that love. Love them in spite of themselves. Love them anyway. Love them because you love yourself and this is your family, your only family. You gotta love ’em!
The wonderful thing about love is that it is the all encompassing power of the universe. Love is the reason we have an Earth. Love is why human beings function best in a family. Love put the whole thing together and it is Love that will keep it together. Once we learn to better cooperate with that Love, things improve in a hurry. Love cuts through all of the imagined and rehearsed drama and goes for the heart. Who can resist love? Even the most recalcitrant heart is softened by love. Love filled sentiments not received and responded to with sarcasm or criticism still pack their punch rendering its happy victim a little softer, a little easier to deal with. Love conquers all. Haven’t you heard? You don’t give out love to get love. You give out love because it’s good for you. It is the real you before the world got to you. It’s the real me also. It is the one thing every person is searching for inside where their heart lives. Love, real love isn’t loaded with conditions and expectations. You don’t just decide to share your love if the person meets all of your requirements. That’s a business transaction. You give out love by deciding to do so. You gotta love ’em!
As the days approach you, as you feverishly try to grab the perfect gifts, as you prepare your home, making sure everything is just right, remember this. When your family is around it is your responsibility to love them. No matter how delicious the meals, the treats, the fantastic (and expensive) gifts, how frazzled you feel inside, decide to be the one that loves them all. Give them your kind heart filled with love. Be that source of healing for them, even that really mean one (as they need it most). Be a source of light for them. We are all in this thing together and we need each other. Oh someone is going to drive you nuts. The wine may encourage a few spill overs. Cry your tears and come back to your love for one another. It is your love for one another that makes you a family. You gotta love ’em!
Just some good thoughts…
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