Quite a few years ago, I stopped in to visit my daughter-in-law.
Her four-year-old daughter saw me as soon as I stepped inside. She shouted “Grandma,” ran to me, gav me a hug and, as soon as I sat down, jumped onto my lap and stayed there during my whole visit. It was the first time we met, as she is not actually my granddaughter. By that I mean she is not my biological granddaughter, as she is not my son’s daughter.
However, if you think I was going to push a sweet, cuddly lump of sugar off my lap, you’re nuts! So, she has been my granddaughter ever since. We are only related by love.
I have a nephew who is not my nephew, but he calls me Aunt Dottie and he calls me on the phone every couple of weeks just to chat. You see, my brother adopted two little boys when he married his second wife. When they grew up, one of them got married. He and his wife divorced several years later and his ex-wife found a new partner. He is the one who has adopted me as his aunt.
I had one brother who was a pain in the neck. I didn’t really hate him, but there was no love lost between us. I have a niece who doesn’t keep in touch with the family. She just isn’t interested. But, I love her anyway.
I think it’s important to have a family to love and to keep in touch with them--no matter how big the family is--and accept them along with their faults and failings.
Lately I’ve been thinking, though, that if God made all of us, we are all members of His family. We may not all have the same threads of DNA, but we are connected by love--God’s love. So, we should probably accept each other, along with our faults and failings.
I believe that, when we get to the other side, we will be judged, not on our faults and failings, but on how we treat other people who have them.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com