Family is the only thing that matters in life - cherish it
I am just coming back from a week of holidays with my family - when I say that I mean my entire family including my son and his grandparents. For some of us, this might be an absolute horror and would feel nothing like a great holiday. I am in the lucky position to be very close to my family and for me those trips always show me why spending time with the wider family and making memories is so important. You only have one family and we should learn to cherish it in the best way possible.
However, of course, not all of us have this privilege of being so close to their loved ones. But if you are, we should try and get on with them as best as we can. However, in most circumstances this required work form both sides.
Rule number one for me would be space. It is important to understand, while w love our family, we all need our personal space and if we want some alone time that’s ok and has to be respected. This is especially important with small children- we can’t take grandma and grandpa for granted and have to respect that children primarily are the responsibility of the parents.
The second very important aspect is to understand that there comes a point where you are more of a guest at your parent’s place and you should act like one. You should not have your parents have all the work in hosting you try and contribute and share the workload.
Thirdly - have fun and don’t shy away from deep conversations. Family should be able to talk about anything and we should be able to feel in a safe space with family. However timing is everything - deep conversations are for times when you have a moment - like for example on a holiday - not so much when everyone is stressed in their day to day life.
Family can be hard work but we only have one and this one is just given to us so we should somehow make it work in the best possible way. Family is everything and if we make it work the reward is amazing. Cherish your family and make great memories with them - you only have one.
