The Perfect Family – What? Say Again?

One afternoon, as I was visiting the grave site of some beloved family members, I noticed a quote on one of the gravestones. It read, “Families are but a prelude to Heaven.” I found the quote a bit quizzical as I remembered a school counseling workshop I once attended. First, the speaker told everyone to stand up. Then he called for anyone with family alcoholic issues to sit down. Next, he had those who came from parents who had divorced to sit down. Then he asked those with serious sibling rivalries to sit down. You see where this is going. By the time he finished, only 3 people were standing, and I’m pretty sure they were all either not telling the truth, or they were just delusional.

I guess the point to be made is that we all come from varying degrees of dysfunctional family situations, and if we’re expecting anything CLOSE to perfection from ourselves or from anyone else, what we can indeed expect, what we will receive, is an extremely disappointing outcome. This "prelude" just isn't going to happen.

My New Year’s resolution for the past couple of years has been to never expect perfection, or anything close to it, from myself or others. It’s my perennial choice because I’m still working on it. And since this isn’t my first or last rodeo, I will continue with this resolution.

Progress, not perfection, right?