Friday, November 22, 2013

WE GATHER TOGETHER . . .



      With Thanksgiving Day coming soon, the hymn
"We Gather Together" likely will be sung often.  Except for the most introverted and reclusive persons, "gathering", "belonging" and sharing life with like-minded and affirming persons are strong yearnings of the human spirit.

     While much of life is a solitary endeavor, there is a huge difference between solitude and loneliness. "Lonely" can occur  even within a large group. And,
FAMILY  is the large group most in our cultural psyche at this time of the year.  Undoubtedly, there is much authentic love within many families.  Still, there are families where the best that can be mustered is to "make nice".

     Recently when I mentioned "We Gather Together" to a client, she replied, "But no more often than we have to . . ."  Just this week, two clients have graphically emphasized that they want nothing more to do with members of their families.  Long standing conflicts, disputes, hurts,  and dislikes have a way of surfacing (some  might say "exploding") during the holidays, even when there are not face-to-face gatherings.  Holidays get-togethers are not always Norman Rockwell-ish.

     Having honored that caveat, what about folks who are genuinely glad to see each other ?  Shared experiences, shared memories, mutual respect,  shared accomplishments as well as losses . . .these ties can have the effect of knitting otherwise lonely, isolated persons into something that transcends our individual identities.  And, sometimes we are fortunate that our 'Families' include those with whom we share 'blood kinship'.

   Happy Thanksgiving !
     
      Satchel

No comments:

Post a Comment