In my never ending quest for truth, justice and the Christian way I keep learning some great stuff. I’ve recently been pondering why at times I feel emotionally distant from people I love. In getting ready for Thanksgiving with both local family members and some from other states that chose Florida to celebrate (smart family!), one of my daughters said to my wife, "I hope dad hangs out with us and does stuff with us instead of being in the house watching TV or messing on the computer." Ouch! I’ve seen lately, that I tend to withhold myself emotionally sometimes from people who are really important to me.

 

I’ve found that for me it usually involves living "fragmented." That is, I’m living right now in the present, but my mind runs to the past and gets either nostalgic about "better times," or remembers past things that have caused regrets. Or my mind may run to the future and wonder what may be around the next bend in life. Either going past or looking ahead requires a fragmented mind where I am not able to be fully present now. It could be just looking forward to what I’m going to do next instead of fully enjoying what I am doing now.

 

One of the keys to being able to enjoy healthy interchange with the people I’m with is to be with the people I’m with!! I need to cut off the desire to go back or the temptation to run ahead and consciously choose to fully focus on and engage with the people I am with right now. Geesh, I better quit typing on here and go enjoy my wife, mother-in-law, son and future daughter-in-law who have gathered here for this holiday together!!!

 

Hope you can be fully present through this holiday season with those you are with.

 

Scott