Dear Family<\/p>\n
Over the years I have received a number of unsolicited communications from various members of the family, be it verbally, by letter or, more latterly, email. The framework has been consistent, usually detailing my latest ‘failings’ in the eyes of the beholder, often followed by quite a sturdy character assassination and invariably signed off ‘with love’.<\/p>\n
Today, on Easter Sunday, I received another two and, as usual, the strength and belief that the words carry against my character shattered my inner peace. What brings tears to my eyes is remembering what a beautiful day I was having with my two children, how I was really being present and enjoying their very beings and then I read these messages.<\/p>\n
I had to haul my spirit back from a place of pain, indignation and anger to be with my children again – present I was not.<\/p>\n
This letter is not to be a retaliation, a defence or a justification for who I am or the choices that I make, it is a plea. A plea to let me be the woman that I am, the mother that I am learning to be, the wife, the friend, the cousin, the niece, the daughter, the sister and any other part of me. Let me be.<\/p>\n
Whether you believe I was simply born ‘this way’… or whether perhaps you can see that my path, my journey, has shaped me. I am a peaceful woman, I do not want the conflict, I do not wish to respond, to argue a lost cause. We hold different values and different beliefs. So be it; it does not make me cold, or compassion-less, or weird, or angry or difficult. It just makes me different to you, whilst I also share your genes – is that too hard a paradox?<\/p>\n
Let me be.<\/p>\n
I am not a child but a woman nearing her 40s, a mother, a member of the community and someone respected in my chosen world. If I do not seek your advice it is because it does not serve my path, it doesn’t make it wrong, but it is not for me. Should I need it, I will ask. I am not afraid to do that.<\/p>\n
My thoughts will not create tremors in your world, there is space in the universe for everyone. My voice can shine and so can yours. Let me speak without apology for there is no reason to be sorry.<\/p>\n
And above all, I would like to be amongst you, I would like to spend time listening to your stories, hearing your own history & dreams, but I cannot whilst you tell me I am wrong. I would like to hear your wisdom and know that I can take or leave it without offence, cherry pick from the bump & grazes we all have healed, learn from you, sit with you.<\/p>\n
So I beg of you, no more emails, no more comments. You have your pathway and I have mine, but may the branches that inextricably link us be decorated with the blossom of peace.<\/p>\n
Yours with love & hope….<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Family Over the years I have received a number of unsolicited communications from various members of the family, be it verbally, by letter or, more latterly, email. The framework has been consistent, usually detailing my latest ‘failings’ in the eyes of the beholder, often followed by quite a sturdy character assassination and invariably signed … Continue reading “An Open Letter to the Family”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-moments"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soulreflection.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}