These flowers above in our garden tell stories of their distrinct features. The differences between them are many. But each of them is a flower with a colour, fragrance and delightful appearance.
Every morning when I walk in the garden, I feel enthused by the confluence they bring to the garden. It is their togetherness which makes the flower bed a garden!
What makes a family?
I noticed two families next to our table in the restaurant when Anna and I had our evening meal yesterday. One family with their two children in early in childhood, seemed to lead the conversations in which parents participated. There was an atmosphere of openness and communication. The children turned to us and smiled in between. The other family sat quietly and had their meal.
During that half hour we noticed two patterns during their meal time. One family engaged each other in conversation during the meal and the other family ate their meal.
This scene awakened within me two scenes that could be patterns in families. One family turned the meal time for fellowship and shared experiences and in the other family each person seemed to confine to themselves.
It is when each person is present to each other communicatively, the family life becomes a shared experience of joyful memories. It is when children grow up in that ambience they feel a traction to grow up relationally !
I did not notice the parents turning to the mobile phone in the family that engaged in conversation. Both parents in the other family had the phone next to them, scrolling in between!
The first family overcame distractions to be present to each other which brought a conversational ambience. The second family was distracted or preoccupied and not present to each other conversationally!
A family becomes relational only when becoming present to each other conversationally is a pattern to build intimate relationships!
The garden is a colourful presence of flowers.
A family is a place of communicating presence of all its members!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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