12.02.2020

"Being a Family" Weekly Wisdom

 


Who are some of your favorite family members?

Each year around the holidays, I always reflect a lot about family. As a younger girl, I used to think family were those people you are related to. I did not know any better, those were the humans I spent most of my time with outside of my Dad, Mom and sister. Until I got older and realized sometimes relatives are an obligation and not really "family."  What do I mean by an obligation?  I mean that blood relatives are people I am to respect as part of my ancestry, because without them, I would not be here. 

But that doesn't mean I have to like them. 

Everyone has their shit. I know this. Things and people happen to each of us during our lifetime that changes who we are and the path we lead. How we handle those happenings, that's the tricky part. Is it going to be positive or negative?  Are you going to grow or stay stagnate?  Are you going to harden or stay kind?  Are you going to lose sight of the life you truly want to live and be remembered for?

What I believed as a younger girl about family completely changed once I realized how some of my family deals with their "shit." Their behavior is stronger and more influential than any drop of blood we share. I have subscribed and unsubscribed to some of my family's behavior - and I have never looked back. I am very grateful for those I am related to by blood who are in my life and I have welcomed in many family members who I do not share any blood with - all of them are my people, my family, my heartbeats. 

Be part of a family you are proud of and if you are not, it is never too late to create one. And you don't have to subscribe to anyone's shit, they have to live with it, not you. 

#embracethehellyeah

~AE


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