Family Ties

SUN., JUNE 11, 2000, 6:55 AM
FARM, STUDY

You struggle, now, o son, with too many family tie activities. You have made one trip, a long one, before this summer season even commenced. It involved a “family tie”, the 70th birthday of your sister, your only sibling. It was good to be there and participate, but there was also a “down-side”. You’ve had enough life experience to realize, even expect, that all occasions such as this one will not be completely positive and pleasant. You’ve offered your apologies to Howard and Joanne. There may or may not be a reply. A “family tie” has been loosened. Will it “tighten up” again?

And now you have trouble deciding about the “next one”… and the “next”. The purpose of each “trip” is to maintain family ties, and these are worthy purposes. Yet you have a strong counter-desire to stay here and have a more quiet summer. This would allow family ties to loosen, and it is hard to tell, again, what the results would be.

In your memory your Dad gave up “visiting” at an age about like yours now. His life was much longer than you expect yours to be. So… should you “withdraw” at this age, or continue to be one of those “who gather”… somewhere… away from here? What time is it now? You’ll have to decide.

Now to another “family matter”… the church family, remembering Pentecost on this Sunday. Pentecost is the “birthday of the church”. When I, Holy Spirit, spoke through some of the disciples, encouraging a continuation of the relationship I had commenced, as Jesus, the Christ. You have been an active member and participant in several “branches” of this Body during this life, and you still want to be a part, but as one less institutionally active. You have feelings for being related to the Body in a wider and less restricted way. You’ll give this a “test” this morning, with a visit to the Unitarians to hear a Congregational minister enlighten you on process theology. Will such visits be “satisfying”? You do feel a loss of “closeness” to your Church, with the giving up of Session and Newsletter responsibilities. This is another form of withdrawal. Is it right for you, at your age, anticipating “moving on”. Hmmm.

The ties with your “university family” are slowly but surely loosening. You have elected to loosen these gradually rather than cut them completely. You are pleased with this, but you realize that sometime soon you will find yourself excluded from “the family”… and this will be all right with you… another transition in this last portion of your life.

Back to your “family family”… is it time to withdraw from family gatherings? Some… or all? You feel the most “closeness” to John Patrick and his family, who are close by, and to Matthew, also “in the area”. Will you continue to visit other family members, or will you expect them to come visit you? Or will such visits just cease? Finish this after this morning’s “activities”.

( 6:48AM / 4:12PM )

Matthew just left after reinforcing his “ties” with you… and there was much talk about the outings ahead, particularly the one in Durango. As you think of this it is both appealing and unappealing. Lenore obviously should go, with Matthew, for it is, finally, her side of the family that shall gather. You don’t have much of a “side” that gathers… the Hawaii experience being about as close as you get.

You don’t have to decide yet, but you’ll certainly keep giving it consideration. But you recognize that for you, at this time in your life, the “big family” is less and less “appealing”.