Today my topic for writing is 'Impact of a Family'. Its a special request from a lovely sister. She says my sharing will be inspiring for all. I am not sure of that! What I am sure write now is I am writing something, as from within somewhere there is need. First of all, I want to write for y sister but more than that its about inner appeal. An idea which will not leave me till it will manifest in some form.
Every family, parents and environment has a great impact on persons life. There are millions of such story, happy ones and sad ones. Some stories are about hardship & struggle while other violence & abuse. Some might be inspiring and motivating while other funny & witty and still other romantic or morally uplifting. But, I am not going to share any of such stories or story to you today. Rather I have a question.
My question is simple and very basic of our topic.
What is a family?
To put that in another way,
What consists a family?
I think, second one makes more sense. As generally when someone ask us, 'who all are there in your family?' Our point of reference is second question.
Dictionary has meanings, definitions for word 'family'. Instead of asking it to Dictionary or Google, if we ask this to ourselves. What kind of responses will emerge? Isn't it be wonderful to define this word which we use casually and seriously at times. To define in a way that its acceptable to sentiment & logic. This might also give a nice observational ground to see our own relations, sentiments, thoughts & feelings at present moment and structural changes happened in past as well as our future aspiration.
From past 45 days or so, a day sister put a request. I went through above process. Now, without looking here & there [I haven't opened dictionary or google, yet!] let me define for myself.
'With whom I lives is a Family.'
Family generally means relation, relationships. All this are relative and complex term. One thing is clear there is Individual (I) and its relations with other at levels of Physical [biological, geographical, institutional], Emotional, Mental and admixture of them. Also beyond level of Mind-Body complex, till realm of Spirits and Soul.
When we think or even feel of family, very first establishment of relation will be of our blood /biological relations [Mother, Father, Brothers & Sisters, Uncles & Aunts, Grandparents]. Further up relations with friends, neighbourhood, colony, village and so on.
Now read the definition again, 'With whom I lives is a Family.'
So where I is located and how much it encompasses that much is our Family.
If I is located at only physical level; either of biological or geographical than our family will be consisting of blood relatives or neighbourhood.
If I is located and encompasses at emotional level than it most probably with friends, may be with animals and all those with whom we can share emotionally including physical ones mentioned above.
At mental level it can take any mode of going till national or international level or restricting just to oneself.
All admixture of above is possible and there is no clear cut categorization. Its very fluid and dynamic too. As some time we strongly support our family based on physical and other moment we want to ignore & break or remove at emotional or mental level.
There are very very few who are able to expand their horizon of I. For them whole world, all beings - animate & non-animate becomes part of family. I too aspire for such thing and believe world would be more peaceful and beautiful with that.
Luckily born in joint family. That too in midst of a family kind of neighbourhood & relatives. Followed by living in an ashram, a family towards common goal. All this has somewhere shaped above view. Forever grateful of them; seers & saints who sees everyone as part of family and above all my Lord.
What's your family?
Shall we rise
and move from
Animal to Man,
Man to Human
and
Human to Divine.
Concluding note:
Extending above quote little further: When you will move above this transactions of love. You will be Love, All will be love, a family.
