WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Although this question might be answered differently by each of us there are some basic important issues in life with which we would all agree.
Life itself is important which goes without saying. Health is also an important issue because without it, what do we have? But assuming those things being present, what is the next issue you would consider to be the most important?
Some might say money or possessions so our life and health can be enjoyed. Some might consider time to be important as it is a limited commodity. I am going to suggest it is none of those things.
I think one of the most important issues in life is that we enjoy real deep loving relationships. Relationships with people who will stand with you in the rain and the wind when you are hit by the gales of life.
Think about it! Without genuine relationships between family and friends what do you have? You may feel that you have some independence but do you really want that if it is accompanied by loneliness? We are made for community. We need one another. Broken relationships are the fodder for bitterness, sadness and depression.
Where do you go when you are in need of comfort and support? Isn’t it to family or friends? Where do you go if you are looking for advice or a sympathetic ear in a crisis? Usually family or friends. Good authentic relationships are crucial.
How sad to hear people say “Yes, we are related but we haven’t spoken for years! We had a disagreement and a parting of the ways. Just never got round to doing anything about it.”
I would venture to say that misunderstanding is the primary cause for fractured relationships. When we take the trouble to hear the other side of the story we might find it is not how we thought it was and certainly not how we remembered it. In fact some people cannot even remember what caused them to disassociate with family members in the first place. Even those who do come to realize how insignificant and meaningless the point of contention was when viewed within the bigger picture.
Good, loving and genuine relationships are invaluable be they with friend or family. You cannot put a price on them. To call someone in a crisis and know they will understand, to know they will immediately stop everything to help you and be there for you, is like having a glass of cold water when you are hot and thirsty. It is like having a bed to lie upon when you are too exhausted to stand. Thousands of people would give anything to have those kind of loving people around them.
However, this is not a one-sided coin, we need to give as much as we like to receive. We need to be that kind of a friend. We need to be the kind of person who reaches out to others within the family. Sometimes friends leave unexpectedly and go out of our lives. But as someone said, “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family!” The family will always be there.
It is critical that we create and maintain loving relationships within the family. So write that note or make that phone call today. Don’t wait until it is too late. You will feel so much better for doing it. Good relationships are essential and incredibly important to our well-being.
If you have a close friend or a family member who loves you, who cares for you, whom you know you can trust implicitly, who is reliable in all circumstances, then hold on to them very tightly because they are worth their weight in gold.
So, what is important in your life?
