I was having a conversation with a friend when they made
the comment… Do we let this ruin our family relationships, or do we just get
over ourselves and love unconditionally?
They weren’t asking me. It was a
question the couple had asked themselves about some family drama.
I was floored by the comment. It was so eye-opening. Can it be as simple as, “Get Over Yourself?” Perhaps so!
Although, as I’ve heard, and said, before… simple doesn’t mean easy.
Did you notice I mentioned “family drama?” If you have never experienced family drama,
consider yourself blessed. Most of you
know what I am talking about. It could
be something minor like, so & so said such & such about whatever. It
could be as major as a divorce, or a death, in the family.
No matter the cause, family drama has a way of tearing
families apart. People can say horrible
things to each other in the heat of the moment, especially if they are trying
to prove their superiority over the other person.
If some of us are completely honest, we aren’t particularly
close to (maybe not even fond of) some of our family members. That doesn’t mean you let the family fall
apart. You are family. That means something.
A wise friend once told me, “It’s not worth ruining the
relationship over.” I have shared that
tidbit of wisdom with many people in the last decade or so.
Let’s take a quick look at why we may be experiencing
family drama. I believe it happens when
one or more people…
·
Must prove their idea is the best
·
Believe they are correct in their thoughts or
actions
·
Think they have the best way to do something
·
Feel self-righteous about lifestyle choices
·
Insist they know what the ill or deceased person
wanted
·
Any number of other scenarios…
Do you see a pattern?
What might happen if, instead of the negative drama and
people insisting they know best, you (me,we,they,everybody) simply “Get Over
Yourself?” If we all realized that
preserving the relationship is more important than being right, more families
would enjoy great relationships.
For those families who seem to thrive on drama, it could
take some time to get everybody on the same page.
Start by:
Remembering you are family
Forgiving past hurts
Conversing calmly
Agree to disagree
Repeat the above steps as many times as needed
And then… Get Over Yourself!
