Last night we sat around the dinner table as if we always spent our evening sharing food this way. The scene was a picture of family harmony; the girls in my life discussing the nuances of curries with my brother. As the evening continued the conversation moved on to school and then even further of the differences between “our” day and things in the real world.
I am not quite sure how it started. My brother pointing out that I wasn’t always so “innocent” in my youth and regaling the table with stories of fights, court cases (I had totally forgotten that my daughters had no idea that I have even been the defendant in a civil court case, accused of assault), and wild adventures where authority was openly defied and rules ignored. Some of the more obvious stories I remembered, however there were many that I had totally forgotten about. Maybe getting old does have some benefits!
During the course of the stories a dialogue began to develop. Questions raised and answered. Thoughts explored in the relationships of our lives and experiences shared. Slowly as the evening aged the girls one by one wandered off to bed. As Rich and I talked on into the evening I realized that “an honest answer is like a warm hug.” (Proverbs 24.26) It feels good.
Several questions lingered as I drifted off to sleep.
Why don’t we have more of these types of evenings? It is good to experience family! Family doesn’t happen through mediums, it occurs and exists as people gather together, share life, and revel in the immediate.
Openness is not an automatic event or state of being, it is the place one arrives at and lingers after sharing life and experience together. Openness between family is a priceless treasure, far to easily ignored in the age of the www, DVDs, and individual success.
Sharing metaphorical hugs is an essential part of life. It is so easy to forget that God offers you and me an enduring and embracing hug. Are you interested, willing, and open?
