When does an egg start to crack? Most times, it’s because new life is about to begin. Other times it’s because it’s been damaged. I’m not sure about families.
I remember reading “We were the Mulvaneys” years ago. It’s about a family that everyone thought was perfect-but it was just a shell. It had a tiny, tiny crack that was barely discernible behind its perfect white exterior. But once it started to crack there was no stopping it.
There are cracks in most families. From some new life emerges. In others the crack just keeps deepening. Is it a person? Is it circumstances? Is it trauma?
Was it all an illusion?
Is it our own individual cracks that hasten our families’ disintegration?
Is it the people who join our family network with their own “cracks” that hasten the demise?
Can a family survive and come away stronger after it has been broken ?
I guess one would have to ask the families involved. One thing seems to be universal, families have to work at it to survive. That means staying in contact and staying connected. That will look different for each family. It means overlooking old wounds. It means giving each other the benefit of a doubt. It also means being honest and not pretending something doesn’t hurt if it does. (This is where I fail. ) None of this is easy. But the families that survive find a way to do it.
What’s that famous saying from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy? “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
May you and your family find ways to become strong and happy. God bless.
Beautiful post. I extend this also to my ‘family’ at work. Those of us who hold jobs actually seem more awake time with those we work with than we do our own families – during the work week anyway. The little ‘cracks’ in this family can also cause turbulence. So even in my work family, I work till I find a way to ‘work around’ the little cracks and so far the cracks have melded together to where I feel those I work with are yes, family too. I’m very fortunate.
Good thought. Yes, we have more than one “family unit” sometimes and we need to work on all of them. Thanks for your comments.
Forgot to say thank-you for the re-blog
Reblogged this on The love of God and commented:
Lovely thought at the end, but it’ll never happen in mine. When people refuse to forgive a perceived wrong, the best thing they can do is stay out of each other’s way, which I found out again today, only a short while ago.
People forget: Jesus can forgive EVERY sin. There’s only one that He will never forgive – the sin of blasphemy against His Holy Spirit.
Thanks for commenting but I’m sorry you feel defeated about our family. God can heal any family but you are right in that sometimes we have to distance ourselves for a little while and let the Holy Spirit. Don’t ever give up. I’m hear to tell you I’ve been where you are and things CAN change. God bless and I hope there comes a time when you see the healing begin.
No,a thousand times, no, Rebecca. Not yours. Mine.
Couldn’t figure out what you meant. Then I read my first reply. I meant to write “your” not mine. But I still feel bad, 🙂