Cheating Ourselves

Granny here,

 I have a lot on my mind today I guess you can tell, huh? So I'm back to give you another dose of what's on my mind.

Just sittin' her thinking about how families cheat themselves out of the joy of sharing each others lives. I know it's not 100% true but it happens more than not. It seems today that families are too busy doing nothing that they forget to take the time to share in their own family. Busy doing little and accomplishing less and not involved enough in their own families to know what is going on and what's worse most are not even interested.

I can remember and yes, I am old enough to have memories when something good happened to a member of the family it was as if it had happen to everyone. Everyone was excited for the family member, sharing in the event with enthusiasm and joy but that type of family seems to have gone by the wayside.

Sad isn't it that everyone today seems to be wrapped up in themselves and what they are doing more than anything else. There is an old saying "someone wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package."

There are several things that happens when we choose to not be involved in other peoples lives. First, we loose the joy of sharing, we lose the chance to learn from others, we lose the chance to teach others something that might be beneficial but the thing we lose the most is the chance to become closer, a chance to become part of one another, to bond and become one.

There's nothing like feeling that you belong, that you have been validated by those you love. Just because you are a member of a family doesn't mean that you feel like you belong. I hope I have not left that impression on my own family, immediate and extended. Involvement is nourishment for the soul of mankind, we crave it, we need it and if we don't find it in our own family we will look elsewhere and that's good too but love begins at home and the more we are involved with each other the more the love will grow.

Some of us may or may not have a friend that becomes more involved in our life that members of our own family and that can be good too. A good friend can never come along to often or stay too long in my book. I have friends that have been in my life for over 50 years and they are dear to me. I wouldn't trade our years together but they don't substitute for my family.

We all can relate to the Waltons, The Duggers and us older folks can relate to Father Knows Best, Life with Momma, Father of the Bride. These portrayals are what real families should look like. One may say this is dreaming but really it isn't, it can be done but it will not be done without love and work. Work by all and that will require involvement and plenty of it.

Becoming involved means giving, sharing, working, sacrifice oh, that's an ugly word, sacrifice, yes, sacrifice and plenty of it. When we choose to become involved we will sacrifice but oh the reward that we will reap, nothing ventured nothing gained. Think about it, are you involved?

Granny here, just saying!