If you want to change the world, go home and love your family

110 x 140

Acrylic, oil pastels, raw canvas

I had a terrible relationship with my family until really quite recently. I think it’s pretty clear that I didn’t want to be home for Christmas. I always found some ideally monthly trip to avoid these family gatherings for several years in a row. Outside of Christmas, it was no different. 

I suffered a lot because of it, but on a conscious level I didn’t know it was because of it. I kind of thought I was just cooler than the rest of them and that I DIDN’T need them. 

But it wasn’t until long after I learned to love them all again that I realized how stupid I was. Now I even think that if we want to love ourselves and have peace of mind, we need to love our family and our ancestors WHATEVER they were. Yes even if they were alcoholics, abandoned you, didn’t devote themselves to you, caused you trauma and fill in for yourself….

Because I come from them. I get so much from my parents that I often don’t even realize it. They gave me the most important thing, and that’s the opportunity to live this amazing, colorful life. They took care of me, I depended on them for the first few years, it was challenging and yet they loved me and provided for all my needs. 

To help me realize this and so much more, I did a trivial exercise. At the time, I was sitting with a book in a nature reserve in South Africa with the rhinos. What better time than Christmas again. The book made several areas of life aware and said : write down EVERYTHING you are grateful for in that area.

I started with my parents. I couldn’t believe how many things I was able to write. And all the feelings I could experience. If you go really deep, I can’t believe you wouldn’t fall in love again and accept.

And so just through that trivial exercise, I have loved nothing but my family unconditionally, always and with everything since. And I feel so great and light, ugh, I really wish that for everyone. ❤️