tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4701696884466140983.post4659129692949134124..comments2023-03-06T03:11:01.717-08:00Comments on Your Best Life Now: Love in the FamilyFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02494864886537649445noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4701696884466140983.post-66286249581480838122008-08-14T06:05:00.000-07:002008-08-14T06:05:00.000-07:00Sometimes in our large family, we deal with hurt f...Sometimes in our large family, we deal with hurt feelings and the relationships are in need of healing. What we try to remember in this case is that the healing of relationships is not up to the other person but the choice is up to our own selves. It is a choice we make because it is our own thoughts and judgments about the other person that need to be forgiven, not the perceived injustice committed.Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13943644066987083569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4701696884466140983.post-70530344266891263302008-08-13T19:46:00.000-07:002008-08-13T19:46:00.000-07:00Well, now! Eleven years of marriage! What can I sa...Well, now! Eleven years of marriage! What can I say? We fell in love, and there was such magnificent energy in that. We married six months after meeting and have been ecstatic ever since. Not that we always have perfect agreement on everything, but we do have the same goals. If we hurt one another's feelings, there is usually a rush to apology on both sides because we do not like the separation caused by that negative emotion. Frank gave me a magnificent handmade necklace this year on our anniversary. He is always so thoughtful! I love that man. I'm still intoxicated by our romance and our marriage. Frank took a vacation this week to be with me. Even our wedding date was built around a date that we could be sure to keep sacred every year. Since I'm a teacher, we decided to marry before school starts so that we could always celebrate our anniversary in style with either a trip or at least some time together that is uninterrupted by work. We love to come home to each other and have a place to laugh, play, and rest together. Learning more and more about love every day, it is sometimes tested by our children from previous marriages, but we are learning about whole new dimensions of love. Frank once told a coworker that he thanks God every day for me. Whenever I am sad, I just think of that and my world becomes bright again. We have a perfect connection with each other and enjoy lots of similarities, like our love of Steinbeck, music, and bicycling. Differences are embraced in our lives. Frank is a sports fan, and I love reading inspirational literature. Whether we are sharing an experience or doing our own thing, we try to remember to be kind, patient, and gracious to each other. Our marriage is strong and powerful and has already endured a few tough things because we draw strength from each other. Sometimes when we start to become concerned about the economy or some other bit of doom and gloom put forth by the media, we just draw comfort in each other and say to ourselves that nothing out there matters. Our love has reached a spiritual level and we rejoice in our God together. In our commingled families, we have a beautiful bouquet of children and grandchildren. They have shown us a new capacity for LOVE. It is beautiful to see the journey we have undertaken and the opportunities we have to show each other and our children love. It is an exquisite life where love flourishes and overflows. We are blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to enjoy the sacredness of our commitment to each other.Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13943644066987083569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4701696884466140983.post-43639489649498307502008-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:002008-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00Sometimes our less-than-perfect life, filled with ...Sometimes our less-than-perfect life, filled with less-than-perfect family situations, has actually turned out to be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for us because this blended family has acted as a catalyst to help us learn life's greatest lessons. Our sense of wholeness as a family comes from the perspective that each and every child and grandchild in our lives, without exception, is providing a positive opportunity for showing us how to LOVE. What an empowering lesson!Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13943644066987083569noreply@blogger.com