Posts Tagged ‘rewards’

The Rewards of Maintaining Relationships

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

I’m sometimes asked how our large and growing family maintains relationships. It is easy to do, when we make it a priority, and it is far easier that the drama that comes when we do not maintain those relationships.

More than just avoiding drama, the efforts always produce wonderful rewards.

Here is a short list of how we do this and some of the rewards:

We meet six mornings a week to say affirmations, read inspirational material, and review the day.

We connect to each other on Facebook and subscribe to status updates via cell phone.

We celebrate birthdays and special occasions.

We spend Sundays playing sports and games while hanging out together.

The Facebook method is especially effective and it often holds special surprises for us. For example, when Peter went from long ponytail to shaved head, he “did the deed” late on a Friday night and posted the picture on Facebook. When I got up early Saturday morning, I first saw his new look there.

Mary often posts pictures of Isaiah, our grandson, on Facebook. Even though I see him every day, those pictures capture him in special moments I wouldn’t otherwise experience.

And sometimes, I’m completely blown away by someone demonstrating a talent I didn’t know they had.

Emmanuel recently posted this poem.

Today a bud tomorrow a blossom,
enjoy the beauty for a season
petals fall down
to cry there is no reason
around the bend yet another blossom

A few days later, Paul wrote a beautiful note about his weekend experience at Bosque del Apache.

Maintaining relationships is a joy with unexpected and beautiful surprises. What can you do today to maintain the relationships in your life?

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Posted in Relationship Peace of Mind | 1 Comment »

Home is a Wonderful Place

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Living the Southwest Lifestyle has its rewards. Sometimes they show up in unlikely places.

Naomi and I decide to finish our trip by driving across the country without stopping. It is a twenty-four hour drive that has become a family tradition. Every time we visit the east coast, we come back without stopping.

We don’t hate hotels. We love home.

As our children have gotten older, I’ve often wondered if my kids would ever see me as square, out-of touch, or not able to understand them. Therefore, I’ve worked to remain relevant to their changing needs. This includes creating a home environment they enjoying living in and sharing with their friends.

The time between midnight and 4 AM is always the toughest part of the return trip so Naomi and I devise a plan to remain alert during that time. We play games.

The first game we play is word association. One person says a word and the other person says the first thing that comes into his or her mind. Then, the first person does the same thing. We often twist word meanings so that the responses take unusal terms. This makes the game stimulating, funny, and, as I discover, sometimes emotional.

At some point in the game, the exchange goes like this.

My response to Naomi’s word is “death.”

“Life.”

“Wonderful.”

“Home.”

I freeze. Did my ultra cool, almost fifteen-year-old daughter, the same one who sneers when we pick on her, and complains when we ask her to work really think of home first when I said wonderful?

Yes, she did. And, she said it with emotion and joy and excitement. She didn’t just say it. She radiated it.

My eyes overflow and I respond.

“Cry.”

The game continues, each of us grateful that we will soon be home.

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Posted in Living the Southwest Lifestyle | No Comments »