Playing Roles

Daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, employee, lover, friend. Playing just one of these roles can take such a toll on the psyche. Navigating the relationship trail is often tricky and when you get stuck it can be mentally as well as physically exhausting, but when sailing along the smooth waters it can be just as rewarding.

Lately, I've been faced with a challenge unlike any I've ever experienced. My parents and my grandparents are not getting along as well as I would like. I love both of them very dearly. The both have always been very good to me. But the new challenge is that they have placed me, unknowingly in the middle of their rocky relationship, which in turn makes my relationships with them strained.

This rocky relationship between the two of them has been going on for a long time. I remember similar ruff patches when I was a child, but they both managed to leave me out of it. Now that I am an adult and our relationships have changed to more of a confidant and advice seeker/giver, it is terribly hard to see either of them so upset and angry with the other. I, of course, want to fix the problem and want them to tell each other what is bothering the other, work together and patch the relationships, which is a much larger challenge than I have energy to tackle. So for the time being, I'm seeking shelter from the storm and riding it out as long as I can.

It is not my place to judge there relationship or to judge their actions. They have much more baggage than I am aware of. Ultimately they will face their judge. I am learning many new lessons from all of this. I have to be responsible for my actions. I have to think about what another person may be thinking and how my actions my effect the relationship no matter how angry I may be. Attitude changes the situation. Forgive as Jesus Christ said, 77 x's 7.

Isn't life all about navigating the relationships we have with others. What would we be if we didn't have relationships. For now, the best medicine is to keep loving and weather the storm.