Friday, Jan. 12, 2024
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
We had developed a genuine relationship based on truth, not on the rules and roles that fathers and daughters were expected to play for each other.
— Stanley Siegel
Some of us have children in our lives. We may wonder when is the right time to come out to them or to let them know that we’re in recovery. Shouldn’t we protect them from sensitive information that they may be too young to handle?
Who we are is apparent to those close to us. Children usually have an intuitive awareness of the truths that we may have taken elaborate pains to try to conceal, telling ourselves that we’re doing so for their protection. There are no universal rules about how or when to come out to children and others in our lives; what’s appropriate varies from situation to situation. Often it’s our own reluctance, rather than others’ ability to hear and accept the truth, that keeps us from speaking.
When we speak the truth, we must be willing to listen to truthful responses. We can listen with understanding and acceptance even to negative reactions, knowing that what someone feels free to express can change. Rather than losing the people in our lives, we may be surprised to experience far greater honesty, trust, and closeness in our relationships than we had imagined possible.
Today, I have the courage to tell the truth in my relationships.
Hazelden Foundation
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