fam·i·ly
1 : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head : household
2 a : a group of persons of common ancestry : clan
b : a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock : race
3 a : a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation : fellowship
Do you know the feeling I'm talking about? The feeling in the pit of your stomach that you can't quite place but is bothersome all the same? The churny, turny feeling that disgusts you and causes you to 'remember' why or what you're feeling anxious at all.
I have 'the feeling' at some of the most inopportune times-dinner dates, play dates, lunches with friends. But without question, it creeps in the most often when I'm with part of my family.
It's funny, family, that is. The people that the world touts as 'endearing', 'compassionate' and 'loving' are most often the people who wound you maliciously. An interesting contradiction, I find.
Is it too much to ask, love? Consistency? Equality?
Perhaps. While I cannot control their behavior, I can control both my preparation and my response. I will choose to love even when they are unlovely. I will be kind when they are unkind. I will bind up when they wound.
