Friday, November 13th, 2009

Get Help

Toronto, Ontario

Yes, it's Friday the 13th and it was a bad night as far as rest is concerned.
Some evenings it is hard to sleep because my needed exercise through walking wasn't achieved. I'm just not fatigued enough. A greater cause for the insomnia is a mental anguish that restricts a cherished rest, especially when informed of major family squabbles.

I'm not talking of my own family. I never bred kids being a life-long celibate. And I'm not referring to my five wonderful siblings and honourable deceased parents. A troubled night arises from hearing of a known family in trouble; when a couple with children, for instance, are at the brink of collapse. I do want it to be known that I'm not trying to invoke pity for myself, rather to make mention that any family shaking in dysfunctionality needs a lot of empathy, support, and prayer.

Disagreement is a common feature of our world and we have to be most ready for it. Financial strain, high passions, and anger spurts, or the opposite (no spurts or inertia), mental and physical disease, violence, unfaithfulness are just some reasons I've seen to cause the domestic boat to rock. One thing that I remind parents in peril in an initial talk (let`s leave the serious counselling for the experts) is that to be an adult and in particular a parent is a role of great sacrifice and responsibility. Incredible patience and time needs to be invested - healing prolonged miscommunication.

Ironically in the developed world we have lost the power and support of the extended family to assist in such matters of relationship erosion. It makes the task of reconciliation so much more challenging. Regardless, the call for help is imperative especially when children are implicated. When your young kids are caught in a messy cross-fire it becomes an ugly scene- a cause for major cracking of soft hearts. I would implore couples in turmoil to appeal to counselling to learn improved communication skills and above all to gain and maintain a ritual perspective on things.

One avenue to this end is to contact the Grihastha Vision Team through www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org .

10 Km