Famiy Values

I don't know why it's taken us so long to do this. I may be wrong, but I suspect our family dynamics and the overall health of our family might be better had we done something like this long ago.

It's not that our family is falling apart or anything. We're a normal family who have times of joy and love--times we deeply cherish and wonder if we could have it any better. But we also have moments of great tension, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, and raising voices.

We're a typical human family. Nothing to hide. No one to impress. No image to put up.

I don't know that we'd have less struggle if we'd done things differently. I do suspect we'd have more direction and a general sense of family unity and identity, though. Again, it's not that we don't have these now, but I suspect unity and identity might be clearer and that might play out in how we live, what decisions we make, and such.

I'm talking about developing a "Family Values" statement.

Mind the Steps

This past fall I walked my daughter into a new school. She's in middle school now. It's a new stage--for her, for my wife, and for me. And it's a new stage for her two younger brothers. They look at her differently now. My wife and I see her differently also. I still haven't adjusted to the previous changes and transitions as she's grown up. I'm still wishing she were in a stroller.

We can't stop the turning of days or the physical, mental, and emotional growth and change we all experience. Such growth and change is a necessary part of life. You stop growing and changing, and you stop living.