A number of years ago there was a TV show that worked off the idea of family cooperation. As I remember it, the opposite could also be true — families in this show could also hate each other. The deciding factor was how each family member responded to the other in the midst of tense situations.
This past week I attended two funerals where there were strained relations. While family members might sit on the same bench, the minutes were spent far from each other. Some family members didn’t even show up or want involvement in funeral preparations.
The other day I was talking to my parents. As we finished our conversation, my father said quietly, “Love you.” I have heard that from him for many years. But somehow it struck me this time around. He has said that same thing to all of us kids. My mother does the same. We as siblings are also on good terms.
I will look forward to the next funeral in our family. Not in a morbid way! But in a way that the gathering will be a celebration of a person’s life. And the gathering will be a time to speak to each other with gracious tones and not with harsh invectives.
May no family feuds interrupt peace on earth and goodwill toward men!