Family

Sitting in the terminal at CMH, I’m pausing to reflect on this past trip to Columbus. By a long shot, this was the most wonderful time together we’ve had in the holiday season, since the passing of our Father in 2007.

It’s a bit overwhelming to sit and soak in the moments and memories that occurred during this trip. I wouldn’t know where to begin, other than to look at the whole experience as a whole and appreciate every second of the trip.

We grow up with our family but rarely live our lives with them. Especially in a world where it’s common for people to live in different cities/countries than their immediate family. However, one of the proudest parts of my life is that the Plaat children have remained close together in a very, very strong bond of love.

Often, it’s the things we do once we reach adulthood that can separate family from each other; gaining new groups of friends, hobbies, careers and obligations that tend to be quite separate from the pursuits of each individual family member. However, as we’ve grown older and have made great strides in our lives – together and separately – we’ve circled back and shared these experiences with each other. Whether it’s collaborating with each other on our professional careers, sharing workouts or taking family trips to a bar and invading the dance floor until the wee hours of the morning, my family has made a priority of sharing in life experiences together.

As we’ve seen over the years, maintaining a peaceful and loving family dynamic is far from easy. There have been more apologies/forgiveness offered to each other than I care to count. Yet, this prioritization has only benefited the other relationships in my life, as I’ve been able to count the cost of maintaining a relationship in a healthy manner.

I’ve been fortunate to have a number of incredible people in my life. But, the people closest to my heart have been my immediate family. The commitment to love and relationship has provided the platform for which I use as a reference for all other relationships in my life.

It’s a sad moment to leave Columbus and head home to the day-to-day life in Dallas. However, I’m encouraged and look forward to the next time our entire family comes together.

Until next time…

Featured Image From Deviantart