Thoughts on Family

I can't wait until Thanksgiving, then I can be official cool aunt/babysitter for the baby(boston). This new little addition to our family has proved to be most amusing and joyous (even though it's a dog). For an interesting view of animals, love and humanness please read The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis.

But to be honest, I want to be a real aunt. (not giving you guys any pressure or anything), but I find the most joy when I am among children for several reasons: they're so cute, they give and take love freely, their lives are uncomplicated by the depravity of this world yet they are beings in themselves complicated and depraved. There's something about having a child respond to me that gives me confidence and joy knowing that I somehow insilled knowledge and amusement in a being separate from myself. I'm just waiting for a time when my sister will call us and tell us that they're having a baby. (again, no pressure... :P) and there will be this little person that we can all love because he/she is family and we love them and that makes them valuable.

Such is the love that God gives us. We are valued because God loves us. We are beautiful because God loves us.

Sometimes it is such a struggle to keep that at the forefront of my mind.

This is the love that we family members have for each other. Granted, the love that my parents have for each other is slightly different, but it is just as deep. My parents love me no matter what. It is unconditional. It is love in spite of the emotion, it is love in spite of the horrid changes in mood and it is love in spite of my own depravity and sin. I love my sister and I love my parents in the same way with the same depth. No one is perfect and no one can love fully, but I feel like the love from my family is the closest to God's love that I'll experience on earth and it is a little fingerprint of how much God loves me.

I dunno what it is, but I feel in such a hurry to love someone like my mom loves my dad and to love someone like my mom loves me. But I guess this is not the time yet. Now is the time to accept and to love those already close to me.

But I so excited for the day that I'm loved as much and as deeply like my dad loves my mom and I can give love like my parents have given me.