First, I must say
that belonging to WARA is one of the best blessings! Thank you, every member.
Second, where is the
grammar person when I want to enumerate and don’t know whether to use a comma
or a colon or a semi-colon after the number position or a hyphen in semicolon
or what?
Urghhhh.
Third. Romance and
almost all other novel writing is about family relationships. Like November.
Many people feel holidays and family gatherings are like demon spawn
gatherings from Hell. Someone’s going to lose an ear and another will be cursed
for ingratitude, philandering, inattention, age, you name it. And that’s a mild
gathering. Then there are those who will bring family and friends together and
ignore them to fend for themselves until they feel like holiday wallpaper—necessary
to look at but useless.
Forth, oh, you think
I forgot romance? Nope! Think of every romance book or novel you’ve ever read. In
each you will find a goal. Families thrive on goals—usually continuance ones.
In romance, the entire bundle of needs that forces us out of ourselves and into
the company of others is inherent in our need to be with another human and
hopefully attempt some warm and welcome kanoodling. Our need to be welcomed, accepted, petted, and
thought well of by another human being. At the holidays we hope it is all of
our loved ones. One on one, we need that from our special someone. And like the holidays, the answer to that is unknown. Perhaps our family thinks we hung the moon and don't need to tell us. Maybe the person who we need thinks we know what is in their heart. Maybe we do, but there is nothing wrong with really liking to hear it again!
Fifth: like holiday
mealtime, tensions can run high between the guy next to the gravy and the
person with the potatoes. Can’t they SEE our NEED? Can’t the object of the sparkle
of interest in our eye SEE our NEED? Is their head down, fork filled, interest
in what they’re doing needing replaced by attending to our need? Our need to be
seen and our need fulfilled? Is the object of our affection too immersed in
something other than our needs? Perhaps they need a friendly tap—to get their
attention—like we would someone circling the kitchen looking for the correct
cupboard the water glasses are in.
So as we count our
blessings this month, let us realize that for some, family meetings are fraught
with the curse of having to be brought out of ourselves and in the public arena
of human failings, our own and others.
Let us think about everyone and forgive them, and ourselves, for being
human in this time of emotional trial. Let
us appreciate all of the story, curse or blessing, of our families as the pageant
of life unfolds before our very eyes.
PS: There's nothing wrong with telling someone you'll love them more if they help with....
1 comments:
Nina, you must have some interesting family dinners:)
Since my boys are both single now, I'm having dinner for the three of us. I've eaten out and eaten weird for the last four years. This year I'm determined to have a turkey dinner. One that tastes like it's supposed to. If that means I have to cook, so be it. I suspect I'll survive.
Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving, my friend.
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