Relationships

Today was our twentieth wedding anniversary, and we spent most of the day in beautiful Atlanta and Buckhead.  We did a lot of walking, shopping and eating!  It was 80 degrees and totally beautiful.

It hasn't always been easy, but we have managed to work through the good times and the bad times together and here we are.  Relationships take work.

I'm not just talking about marriage relationships either.  Relationships with family take work too, and sometimes in spite of a lot of hard work, counseling and your best efforts, things just don't work out the way you would like them to.  Don't beat yourself to death over it though.  The old statement "blood is thicker than water" only goes so far!

Just because someone is a blood relative doesn't mean they are a "safe" person to be around.  There are toxic members in a lot of families and you have to know when to let go and preserve your own sanity.  I have two sisters.  One of them is close and we share good times together.  The other I hadn't heard from in nearly eight years, and then out of the blue she "messaged" me yesterday.  I was tentatively hopeful it meant that things had changed with her and that we could perhaps have some kind of relationship.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.  She has not changed, and probably never will.  It made me terribly sad, but I am a very realistic person who had to learn the hard way that sometimes you have to protect yourself from dangerous people. 

Years ago, I read a cute little book called Balcony People.  It is about how we all need people in our corner who will stand on the balcony and root us on...their counterparts are "basement people" who try to pull you down at every opportunity.  You have to avoid those people at all cost.  It isn't always easy to know one from the other.  Sometimes it takes a friend to tell you, or a counselor.  But, believe me, you need to have those balcony people, and not those basement people in your life.

Today was a restful and fun day, and I managed to put aside the sadness which my "basement person" tried to visit upon me.  Each day is a bright, shiny new day, and needs to be treated as such. 

I pray for each of you lots of "balcony people" and the wisdom to discern the "basement people" and run from them into your bright, shiny future.

God Bless, Peace - Love - Joy