Discover Common Bonds

“So many people have lost their families,” the man said to me. “I have. But I’m beginning to discover that I’m part of a larger family, too. I’m beginning to see my connections to people all over the world.”

We all have people we love deeply and dearly, those people we call our family. We have blood ties, genetic ties, long-term relationships with the people in our life. But as we open our hearts, we’ll discover a larger family, too.

We have a kinship with those we’ve never met, even if they live in other cultures. We share many of the same emotional responses to the experiences in our lives, even though our journeys may be taking place on different parts of the planet. If we study history we will see our connection to those who have lived before. The hardships they experienced, the lessons they had to face, were similar in many ways to those we face today. Lessons repeat themselves. The ones that are true seem to last. That’s why they’re called universal truths.

What are you going through in your life right now? Don’t feel you’re the only one. Open your eyes. Open your heart to your connections with your larger family. Let them share their stories with you. Let them share their strengths, hopes, fears, and joys. Stop looking for what’s different and what makes you separate and apart. Go on an adventure of discovering your common bonds.

You’re not alone. We’re in this together.
That’s why it’s called universal love.

From the desk of Melody Beattie
Originally posted December 20, 2014

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