World domination
It felt a bit like that when all the family turned up on Christmas day. Jenny, me, 1 sister, 2 mothers, 4 daughters, 4 sons-in-law, and 5 grandchildren. If not world domination, then certainly a good attempt at world population. Families are brilliant aren’t they, well most of the time they are, and actually, for some people – not much of the time. As the saying goes, ‘you can’t live with them and you can’t live with out them’. I once found one of my daughters reading the book ‘Families, they **** you up’. I wondered what reflection that was on me and Jen!
Sadly it is actually very true. We are so close to each other that at times it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. We hurt each other by things we say and do or don’t do. We compete with each other, and we have such impossibly high expectations of each other that it’s impossible not to disappoint. Our base selfishness is exposed to each other in ways that others don’t always see. We compare ourselves with each other. We are irritated by our differences and frustrated by our limitations. We think we should understand each other without taking the time to fully understand our different personalities.
And yet if anyone else should criticise one of our close family members we would jump to their defence and in the heat of the moment take a bullet for them.
This last week my mum, who is 84, has been taken into hospital near London. It’s a long way for visiting hours. I feel quite emotional as I see her vulnerability, and I pray for her full recovery. But it reminds me that life is fragile, we enjoy our health by the grace of God, and none of us know when our time will be up. It reminds me that I don’t want to have any regrets with any of my family. I want to know that as far as possible I have loved to the full, forgiven completely, and enjoyed every opportunity to be family.
