Chew On It – Appreciating Family
Appreciating Family
It’s the festive season again, and while most of us look forward to spending this time with family, some of us may be dreading it, and others sadly don’t even have family to spend it with.
I think we tend to take our loved ones for granted and are in denial of our mortality. I’ve had a number of tragedies which have changed my outlook, and my priority now is to invest in enjoying my time with family and friends.
I interact with my family as much as possible and like to make new memories. I remind myself that my older family members are not going to be here forever and so I try to cherish and appreciate the time I have with them now, or as life is so unpredictable, I may not be around.
I have long since dropped the idiotic notion that I shouldn’t express my love and appreciation to family and friends. Some cultures unfortunately do not promote open expression – we Chinese don’t even have the word ‘love’ although we do have the word “desire”. My boys know that I will always hug and kiss them regardless of their age and no matter where we are.
As for the people I love but don’t necessarily like, I limit my interactions with them and keep things polite. The key is, if you can’t make things better, don’t make them worse.
And as for the people I don’t like? Well, that’s easy, I simply avoid them. Out of sight, out of mind.
Silly season, silly people
While we should always have our wits about us, this becomes even more important during the festive season where people can sometimes get out of hand.
I don’t have a problem with people enjoying themselves as long as they don’t harm others. It’s wonderful to see that our society no longer condones driving while under the influence of alcohol and that more and more people are making the choice not to drink and drive – but this isn’t always the case. So be vigilant and stay safe.
The subject of safety also extends to personal safety and guarding against assault. And an important thing to remember is that it’s less about having the ability to defend yourself and more about avoiding high-risk situations.
Self Defence Workshop
It’s an important topic and one that I’m addressing through a self defense workshop this month. It’s part of our service to the community and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about keeping safe. Friends and family are welcome, so bring them along too.
When: Saturday, 9 December, 11.15am–12.15pm
Where: Elixr Bondi Junction
Cost: Free for members and guests
Book: Elixr.com.au/defence
