“The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that.” -Eckhart Tolle
Many don’t know this but I was an orphan. I lost my family very early and grew up homeless, shelter to shelter, and in group homes. I can’t really remember what it is to have family. The hallmark channel and brady bunch don’t resonate to me. In fact, like many of you, I probably relate more to what is seen on Cops than anything else.
Now that I’m older, I have amazing people that I have chosen to have around me. People that care to ask me to come over…people that invite me every year to have a “family” experience with them. Although I have them near, I cannot help but feel that sense of still not having a family. It’s nothing against these people…but it’s hard because I’ve lived my past 20 or so years the same way- the same story, the same rituals.
I now direct a clinic that is filled with people with extreme mental illness. Some don’t have any family left, but most of them have family that choose not to have them around. A collection of orphans in many ways.
They have family and yet, still are orphans. I feel like many people fall into this category.
Many of you have family but because of past histories, arguments and feelings…you dread the time with them. You are holding onto the “bad” emotions which keep you alone, even in their presence. You don’t want to connect and although you may sit near them…you are as far away from them as possible in your mind. You have family but are alone in your head. The greatest war. There are even those that have others that want them there, but feel that they cannot connect with them.
This holding onto emotions is tiring. Resistance to embracing is tiring. Trying to stand up to the stormy weather is tiring.
What do you do? You stop fighting. You embrace the connection. You let go of pain and free yourself.
To those people I say push aside your anger, frustration and irritation. I say that for one day, today, let go. Stop resisting family and fall into them. Stop holding the negative emotions and embrace those around you. For those that have no family- bull. You have family. They may not be connected by blood…but they are still family.
Find them.
Let go and connect. Enjoy. Partake. Embrace. Feel.
Start today.