Family Friendly

History in families has it they say,

Recalling and pondering my childhood tray,

Not everyone has it—come what may,

A family they meet with, work, rest and play.

Families are a place to greet and gather,

They consider okay really no matter,

A place where embarrassment’s definitely no shatter,

We tolerate our families beyond the clatter.

And it’s history really that binds us together,

The stories of laughter, tears, the “weather,”

Blood thicker than water—it gets even better,

We stick with each other beyond the tether!

Wonder of things holding true,

A place of safety we always knew,

We thought alone—then we flew,

To a place we’d be safe in horrid blue.

Come now down to the enchanting seat,

A moment here and we won’t miss a beat,

Time, a thought—really a treat,

We’ll think it precisely a magical feat!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We often undermine our families, taking them for granted, because frankly, they’ll always be there for us. Of course, this is a generalisation—not everyone is blessed with a functional family. But for those who are, it’s a privileged spot to come to; it’s a sanctuary.

And for those of us who weren’t blessed with the ‘perfect family’—which really doesn’t exist!—there is extra incentive to break open the generational curse in this generation and provide children what they truly deserve—that safe haven away from the prying, hazardous external world. To do this as an adult we must be able to get over the wrongs done us! Not easy, but very possible.

Family history is an amazing thing. We write it every single day by the words we use and the love we express. We are loath to forget this; that the stories of our very lives are being written in ‘live time.’

Families: a place we should learn about forgiveness and relational reconciliation; both in the hotbed of conflict. Yes, paradoxically, families are founded on it!

How families deal with their conflict defines them.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.