What is Family?

Yesterday afternoon I went to visit my mother in hospital. She was feeling a lot better and chatting to her friend who was visiting. For some reason I felt exhausted, which was very unlike me. I told mum it was only going to be a very short visit as I was tired. I stayed for an hour and then set off to catch the bus that comes to the hospital. As I was approaching the bus stop I saw it leaving. Damn! Now I'm going to have to wait for another half an hour. Why am I feeling so drained?

I shook off the "drained" feeling and centred myself in Love. After a few minutes of waiting I decided to walk to the main road and catch another bus from there.

At the exit I wasn't sure whether I should turn left or right. On the left I saw a man walking with his head down. I ran up to him and asked him if he could direct me to the main road. He offered to give me a lift in his car as he was going in that direction.

On the way I asked him if he'd been to the hospital. He said he'd been visiting his wife who has been diagnosed with anaemia. He said it all happened suddenly. The consultant has recommended that she has heart surgery but she doesn't want to. She simply wants to go home. He said he was going to take her home the next day. She would then have six weeks to think about whether she wants the surgery or not. He said he can't force her to have it, he can only support her decision.

"Do you have any kids?" I said.
"No, we don't," he said. "I've sometimes wondered whether it's a good or bad thing not having kids."
"I was only asking because I was wondering if you had family support."
"No, it's just me and my wife."

My friend said that during the last few weeks it's been one thing after another. First, his brother passed away in Cyprus, where he's originally from. His mother died soon after. He believed it must have got too much for his wife.

"How are you feeling?" I said.
"Me, I'm just trying to be strong for my wife."

When we arrived at the point when he could have dropped me off, he suggested he took me further down where I could catch a bus that would take me all the way home.

As we parted company he thanked me for listening, and I thanked him for giving me a lift.

Later my mother's friend rang to find out how she was. She hasn't been able to visit mum because she hasn't been feeling well either. I told her about the man who had given me a lift.

"Was he white or black?" she asked.
"White."
"When you don't have the spirit of fear, you can let love work through you," she said.

She was implying that I had gone into the man's car without fearing for my safety. We've had this conversation before when she asked me how I could walk in our neighbourhood after dark. I told her that Love is ever present and there's nothing to fear.

The thought of not accepting the lift never occurred to me. As I see it, Love wanted me to give and receive support and I acquiesced. It felt to me like the man was my dad giving me a lift, and I was his daughter being there for him.

What is family anyway? Everyone is my family; and family members give one another support as and when the need arises. I was glad to be there for my dad.

Enocia

Related articles: No Fear!; Support; The One Brotherhood of Man; As I Love Others, I am Loving Myself; You are Not Alone!; Trust; Making Love