Family

"… Maybe that's the lesson for me today, to hold onto these simple moments - appreciate them a little more, there's not many of them left. I don't ever want that for you, finding things that make you happy shouldn't be so hard. I know you'll face pain, suffering, hard choices but you can't let the weight of it choke the joy out of your life. No matter what, you have to find the things that love you. Run to them. There's an old saying - that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I don't believe that. I think the things that try to kill you make you angry and sad. Strength comes from the good things, your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work. Those are the things that will keep you whole, those are the things to hold onto when you're broken."
-Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy

The above quote is from my favourite T.V. show.  It's a father telling his sons to hold on to what's good in life.
I love it.
It's simple.
It's to the point.
It's true.
Holding on to things that hurt you or make you angry eventually breaks you.
I didn't bring you here to tell you about my love for Kurt Sutter and all things SOA. I brought you here to talk about the things that keep us whole. Kurt Sutter just gave eloquent wording to my thoughts. (Even though he took away Opie, I still love him.)
This has been a pretty wild few months for our household. I have found I have had less time to dwell on the things that don't keep me whole. I have less time to worry about what insignificant things are happening around me. I have had to focus immense attention on my family.
I feel some things have changed. I know some plans are on the back burner.
I'm okay with that. I know I've made an exchange more valuable than anything else I could gain.
When I am old and grey, it won't matter how much work I did in 2013, how extraordinary my vacation was, or how full my bank account was.
What will matter will be the people surrounding me - be they blood or not - my family will be what keeps me whole, strong, and happy in my life.
As I said, our household has undergone some changes. It could have been a lot more trying for our family, but I'm surrounded by like-minded people. In the end, your family is all that really matters.
Although family situations can be messy you do what you must.
The people you rely on to keep you whole deserve to know what they mean to you. They deserve to know that you will keep them as whole as they will keep you. They deserve to know that in the end, when all is said and done, they are what matters to you.
The things that try and kill you will make you angry and sad. There is no doubt about that. You should do as Jax says. Run to the things you love. Run to the the people who love you. Be with them and don't let them go.
When you're broken, they will build you up.
When you need to face the things that make you angry and sad, you will be whole and never alone.

xo