Recently after a scrumptious meal, our server placed on our table two fortune cookies along with the bill. I gave my sister the first choice. The familiar little piece of paper revealed nothing exciting or profound. I hurried to break my cookie hoping to find something worthwhile to think about. I wasn’t disappointed. Right away I exclaimed, “Now, this is good. I like it.”
My fortune cookie read, “Take care of your family. They are your roots and your wings.” It touched my heart and reinforced my belief of what a family means to me. As the days passed, the quote kept popping up, and I kept mulling over its meaning. “Hmm, roots, wings, do we blindly just take care of the family no matter what?”
For days, I have been trying to come up with a topic for my blog. This morning during my quiet time/meditation, I set an intention to find a topic. Within seconds, the fortune cookie quote appeared in my head along with various meanings.
Of course, I’ve been going over and over the many thoughts, and now I am putting some of them into writing.
ROOTS
Knowing where we came from, the struggles, sacrifices, and accomplishments our ancestors faced and survived gives us insight into how we got to now. We are eager to hear the stories that recount the traditions and memories of our grandparents before they die. The knowledge of health issues previous generations faced, the hereditary illnesses, is helpful when we must make medical decisions. I know I am asked every time I see a new specialist, “Has anyone in your family had ‘this’ or ‘that’? My answer is, “I do not know. Both my parents died when I was ten years old, and I was adopted.” I imagine that if my answer offered information that would enlighten the doctors, they would have ordered different tests and looked at my medical history differently.
So, once we have information about our roots and our family is inclined to enforce the traditions that were passed on to them from previous generations, what do we do? It’s great if the ancestral cultural dictates suit us and fit well with today’s world. And if those dictates work well with our personality and beliefs. But what if the family mandates go against our beliefs, or even worse, they are abusive? What then? Do we remain with the family? Or do we love and wish them well from afar? Or do we stay and endure? Will that be construed as helping our family? Or enabling the abusive system to continue? Perhaps perpetuating it to the next generation.
WINGS
Ahhhh, I love that. Our family is our wings. The members support us and help us to soar. Isn’t that just a wonderful feeling? What more could we want? Being in a loving, supportive, and comforting environment where everyone benefits and thrives. Of course, there are the trials and challenges of life happening, but if there’s always someone there to help our wings for liftoff, we are blessed.
What happens in a family where there’s no support? I’m certain all of us have witnessed jealousy, animosity, and greed in a family. Emotions and behaviors that clip wings instead of aiding them to fly. Once again, do we stay because they are family? Or do we use those wings to fly away and care for the family from a distance?
I would love to hear your thoughts on my simple discourse on the fortune cookie. Send me a note.