Ties That Bind

 

“The ties that bind us are sometimes impossible to explain. They connect us, even after it seems like the ties should be broken. Some bonds defy distance, and time, and logic. Because some ties are simply . . . meant to be.“ ~ M.G.

Happy New Month!

It is the last month of the year 2023. 91.51% of the year is spent. As you walk toward the finish line of this year, may the remaining 30 days of your year be spent productively, reflectively, and gratefully.

A story is told about a father whose son asked him, “Dad, what is a successful life?”

Contemplating the question, the father asked his son to take a walk with him. The father carried a kite on his way out. They got to a field near their home and the father set up the kite and sent it up. As he flew the kite, the son was carefully watching him.

After some time, the son said, “Dad, the kite cannot go higher because of the string. Can we cut it off and let the kite go higher?”

The father broke the string and they both started watching the kite. Initially, the wind carried the kite higher and higher. After a while, however, the kite started swaying and coming down. Eventually, the kite came crashing down to the ground, far away from them.

The father now looked at his son and said, “Son, in life, when we are rising high, achieving success after success, we often feel the same as that kite. If it was not for the string ties of family, friends, church, school, etc, we would be going much higher.

For some of us, we successfully cut the ties and rise even higher, for a time. Others really want to cut the ties but are not able to for one or another reason.

The fact is, it is the ties that keep us at that height. Without those ties, we would be exactly like that kite, flying really high for a season, then crashing down, never to rise again.”

The holiday season is upon us. The busyness of our daily grind will wind down for a short time in order to allow us to rest and connect with our loved ones. Do you actually have ties that will bring you down and send you up later or are you a cordless kite floating at the mercy of the winds?

The lesson of today’s story is that if you want to remain on the heights in life, never break the threads that hold you up. They are not limiting your rise; they are anchoring your presence up there.

“Rules and responsibilities: these are the ties that bind us. We do what we do, because of who we are. If we did otherwise, we would not be ourselves. I will do what I have to do. And I will do what I must.” ~ Neil Gaiman

“Friends are ‘annuals’ that need seasonal nurturing to bear blossoms. Family is a ‘perennial’ that comes up year after year, enduring the droughts of absence and neglect. There’s a place in the garden for both of them.” ~ Erma Bombeck