Loving others is funny isn’t it? When I had our first child I was amazed that my heart could love that much. As our other two children were born my heart once again grew and expressed an enormous amount of love for each of them. As parents you don’t always think about the fact that your heart has grown and is capable of giving love equally and proportionately to each new human that comes into your life. It becomes like breathing. You just do it.
The same is true of grandchildren. Each new addition to our life has filled my heart once again with so much love. It is amazing to watch each of our grandchildren and as I do so feel my heart so full of a grateful love that I hope I express to them.
The same has been true for our daughter-in-law’s. These complete strangers come into our lives and love our children. They create their own traditions, their own lives and their own way of loving each other. And we are part of their life. And they are part of ours and so love grows once again.
Family is really what makes up our life. Not our jobs, not our titles, not where we live, not the place we live. Families love us in the best of times and the worst of times. Families create small moments that hold us together. They are the glue and the sunshine. To say I am blessed by my family would be a complete understatement.
Families are messy, they disagree, they get angry, they love each other, and they are certainly there for one another. They share secrets, they laugh, and they grow together.
Our newest addition to the family, Ellie, has reminded me once again of all of these wonderful things about being a family. It doesn’t really matter if you’re a family of two or a family of 200. The love that you express for each other and experience together is like no other magic and mojo in the entire world. I hope today you have a moment that you can take to love your family, to express that to them, and to sit and know that you are a part of a family.
Be happy for the love you can give to others. Give well and receive graciously. Be still and you will feel all the love around you.