Happy Monday! 

What a week! This past week was so filled with activities and adjustments that my brain needed some downtime and a chance to recalibrate. That’s not an easy feat for many of us, and we must be intentional about taking time for mindfulness. It may be cooking seasonal baked goods, crafting for holiday gifts, engaging in a favorite sport, or simply listening to music, reading, or painting. Whatever your particular brand of relaxation, I hope you spent adequate time preparing for next months’ happenings.

Continuing with our theme of gratitude, let’s explore the relationships that keep us grounded and provide a feeling of inclusion. It would be nice to consider familial ties the quintessential form of healthy bonds. Sadly, that’s unrealistic in many cases, as families frequently drift apart. Sometimes it’s stubborn pride, often, it happens when the elders pass, and frequently relatives have trouble finding common ground in activities and foundational beliefs.

Life can interrupt our best intentions and drive insurmountable wedges between siblings due to many factors, not the least of which is the influence of spouses on the family of origin. In my practice, I witness the fracturing of the family unit in a multitude of ways. It always saddens me when pride prevents kindness and favorable regard rendering a truce difficult at best.

Often friends become allies and form lasting bonds through shared experiences. That’s not to say that friendships don’t have their challenges. For example, my oldest (not in age, but in the number of years we’ve known each other) and dearest friend and I have been BFFs for almost 40 years. We’ve had our times of separation, sometimes months and, once, several years, but we always manage to find a way to communicate our relative truths, patch things up, and rebuild broken trusts.

I believe we have been friends for so long because of our differences. We are very different in many ways but hold the same core values and issues of integrity as paramount in our ability to be compassionate with one another, holding each other in the space of unconditional regard. The challenges make us work harder and smarter at maintaining our healthy ties. So many times, one of us was at her bottom, and the other became a lighthouse to guide and encourage her back to safety and sanity.

I appreciate these words from Albert Schweitzer, as it has proven to be true in my life, particularly with core friendships:

Photo by matty10. No copyright infringement intended.

Following are a few thoughts from Scripture:

“Some friends don’t help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.” Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)

“An honest answer is a sign of true friendship.” Proverbs 24:26 (GNT)

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)

“I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 (GNT)

Here we’re reminded of the signs of healthy relationships and how important it is to be thankful for each person who speaks positively into your life. We know of the joy we share with friends and the kindred spirits we feel when we gather. As we demonstrate gratitude with our precious friendships, we learn more about ourselves and lay the foundation for tolerance with others we may not understand. A natural outgrowth of our appreciation for friends is the ability to be more inclusive with those we may not have as much in common. It’s an exciting path to exercise our ability to be thankful, even when we have no natural frame of reference.

This week, let’s dedicate some time to demonstrating gratitude for our meaningful relationships. And while we’re at it, let’s show kindness and appreciation to the relationships we’re fostering, whether it’s in resolving a family issue, finding a solution for a work conflict, or deciding to do something nice for a lesser-known acquaintance. I’m confident we’ll be pleasantly surprised by the responses we receive!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda