For my sister Marta
1. Stay Connected- Keep in touch with your family. You don't have to be in contact all the time: not once a day, not once a week, but stay in contact. Let your loved ones know how you're doing and what you're up to. Email, text, call. Don't let there be a gap.
2. Talk And Listen- Talk to your family. Tell them what's going on in your life: how your job is, what you're into, and if you're in love. Share your pain with them too, they're the only people in the world you can unload on and not feel bad about it. Tell them as much as you can and listen even more. Be interested and engaged in your family members lives. Listen to the little stupid things that no one else will listen to because sometimes those small things are big things.
3. Argue- You only have to worry about a certain amount of politeness when it comes to your family. If they are doing something you don't agree with or don't like, tell them. Feel free to call bullshit on them or fight back if they are making you feel mad, sad, or embarrassed. Keep in mind they are your family and you love them. Don't be mean, be constructive. Don't be biting, be logical. But make your point. Stand up.
3a. Check Yourself- Your family are people too. You know them the best so you know how to cut deep if you want to. Don't. Don't hit below the belt. Make your point but don't hit the nerve even though you know exactly where it is.
4. Eat Together- Share meals together. You don't have to talk. But break bread together. You're a family. A unit. It's something you don't share with anyone else. Sometimes they're the only ones you can count on. Sometimes it's you against the world.
5. Sit Together- You don't need a reason or an activity to be together. Watch a movie or TV and simply sit together. Read or check your email or write. Simply sit in the same room. Share the space. Sometimes doing that brings you closer than chatting. Exist together.
"There's nothing like family you know." -Al Pacino Scent Of A Woman
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