Fred, his girlfriend and his two adopted sons joined us on Sunday morning after the prayer at the church. We walked past the beautiful garden outside and sat down at a bench near a beautiful, radiant bed of September Flowers in vivid colors and patterns.
The awesome variety took my breath away. It was such a delightful sight to see the colorful cover of blooming acacias, freesias, roses, cockscombs, chrysanthemums and the brightest Star of Bethlehem flowers.
We were relaxing in its sweet aroma when all of a sudden Fred broke the silence and exclaimed, “Mother Nature has the best box of crayons!” We all smiled, while his younger one beamed at him. He was filling in colors in his art book with sketches of flowers for his Flower Week assignment. His older one was lost in his own world with headphones on, he was with us and yet not present completely.
Fred’s girlfriend was feeling out of place it seemed as she drifted in her own trail of thoughts. I asked her to join me for a walk while the boys were perched lazily on the garden benches.
Hope Your Day Begins With Love!
She was going through some inner conflicts. The boys Fred adopted were culturally different from them. “Fred and children have many arguments and every day seems like a struggle, even though we love them a lot, at times it becomes overbearing.” She said.
“Love wasn’t ever easy, was it?” I asked.
“You have a unique family. It is like a melting pot of cultures and it is breathtakingly beautiful just like these flowers, different but one,” I continued. She smiled and looked slightly relieved.
It is a great opportunity to learn to let go of the smaller self, to learn to share different perspectives without judgments. It is a chance to regard others along with cultivating a strong sense of self-esteem, listening to others without losing your own voice and releasing the mayhem the ego creates.
As we were delving deep in the challenges and opportunities of the differences in cultures and families, we realized it is also a blessing in disguise, it challenges us to stretch our limits, teaches us to accept and love unconditionally.
How we deal with it within the family is how our younger generation will deal with it outside. We set their limits of tolerance.
This Autumn enjoy the contrasting colors in the bouquet, it beautifies the surrounding more than the monochromes do. Reflect upon what you are doing to untie the knots in your relationships. How can you see oneness in all the differences you have with your folks? How can you let them know they have got a friend in you? Simplify your relationships this Fall.
“When love is the cause, you may be different but you are still one.“
