Family is like...
In the early morning hours this morning, as I was feeding my beautiful baby girl, I began to ponder the oddity that family is. This week was filled with grief and mourning, but from that sadness came healing and blessing. For the first time in a VERY long time, I was together with a part of my extended family. Sadly, it has taken funerals to get me together with this part of my family. But I won't let it be that way anymore.
While sitting dazed, half-awake and half-asleep, it dawned on me. Family is like...
FRUITCAKE!
*giggling*
It didn't sound as odd to say that at 2am, but I think it still fits.
Nobody I know MAKES fruitcake. It's just kinda always there for Christmas. And family is kinda like that. We don't really make it, it just is what it is. Most of the time, fruitcake is hard, stale, and un-enjoyable; our families can easily become just that without proper care. Fruitcakes have so many different ingredients, things we might not bring together otherwise. Oh my! How family is like that!
And I realized also, that if you took away one ingredient from the fruitcake, well...it just wouldn't be fruitcake anymore. It might be banana bread, or coffee cake. But it wouldn't be fruitcake.
I am grateful to have put my ingredient back into the mix. Part of recovery is re-establishing broken or lost relationships when they are beneficial. And I truly believe I can begin to do that now. I'm just sorry that I've lost so many years already.
I may seem a little nutty right now, but maybe that's my role...to put a little crunch into the mix. Or maybe I'm just a little salt...to make the ingredients interact. It doesn't matter really. All that matters is that I'm a part of the mix, and my part is important.
And your part in your family is important too. I hope you find the strength to hold onto hope, even in grief and mourning, during anger and joy, birth and death alike. We all have an important role and a place in each season. Play your part.
While sitting dazed, half-awake and half-asleep, it dawned on me. Family is like...
FRUITCAKE!
*giggling*
It didn't sound as odd to say that at 2am, but I think it still fits.
Nobody I know MAKES fruitcake. It's just kinda always there for Christmas. And family is kinda like that. We don't really make it, it just is what it is. Most of the time, fruitcake is hard, stale, and un-enjoyable; our families can easily become just that without proper care. Fruitcakes have so many different ingredients, things we might not bring together otherwise. Oh my! How family is like that!
And I realized also, that if you took away one ingredient from the fruitcake, well...it just wouldn't be fruitcake anymore. It might be banana bread, or coffee cake. But it wouldn't be fruitcake.
I am grateful to have put my ingredient back into the mix. Part of recovery is re-establishing broken or lost relationships when they are beneficial. And I truly believe I can begin to do that now. I'm just sorry that I've lost so many years already.
I may seem a little nutty right now, but maybe that's my role...to put a little crunch into the mix. Or maybe I'm just a little salt...to make the ingredients interact. It doesn't matter really. All that matters is that I'm a part of the mix, and my part is important.
And your part in your family is important too. I hope you find the strength to hold onto hope, even in grief and mourning, during anger and joy, birth and death alike. We all have an important role and a place in each season. Play your part.
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