My husband and I don’t live close to most of our family. We’re involved in other activities that cause us to stay close to home on the weekends. The result is we don’t visit our families very often.
One weekend over the summer my sister and I traveled 4 hours one way to attend a family reunion. We had a great time at the family reunion and stayed well past everyone else because it was at our aunt and uncle’s home. At the end of the evening we went a half mile up the road to our Grandparents and spent the night. And on Sunday we visited with more family!
This is what I realized at the end of the weekend:
- I really love my family
- Going there always feels a bit like “going home”
- When I’m there, I always want to come back next week
- There’s nothing quite like family and hearing stories about them and yourself that you’ve forgotten
For me, connecting with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and my cousins’ kids reminds me how much love I have for people I see only a few times a year and how much I cherish those family connections. It feeds my soul in a way I really can’t put into words.
Having these connections to others is important. We might not always agree with each other’s choices, but we’ll always be there for each other to help to celebrate, to mourn or to help pick up the pieces. These people may be your family or they may be your best friends.
Knowing that you have a support system is a happiness booster. They’re the people that are there for you no matter what and love you unconditionally.
Who makes up your support system? Who are the people that you love to spend time with? Are they the same group? Make some time in the next week to spend time with people from both groups (if they’re not the same). Notice how it feels to be with them and be thankful they’re in your life.