An Ode to my Uncle Jon – The Necessity of Commitment

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly – Langston Hughes”

Married 52 Years

My “Farbror” (Uncle in Swedish) died today.  He and my aunt had been married for 52 years.  In that time they didn’t spend an entire day apart from each other.  Of course my initial reaction was to grieve.  But I have also been pondering the amazing commitment they had to each other.  Yes, they were soul mates, but I also imagine a marriage, and a life like that took a lot of work.

I think we give up too easily on each other.

I think we have lost the ability to truly commit – to our families, to our dreams, to our work.  Things perhaps come too quickly and too easily.  So we let the people, opportunities, experiences flit through our lives like wraiths, without ever seeing their true taste, texture, color or scent.

It’s time we begin to truly taste – truly experience our lives again.

I think about some of the relationships I have established through social media.  Some of these relationships are stronger and more powerful than those with folks I grew up with.  Why?  Because we “see” each other every day.  In a way, we are in each others space every day.  That is the commitment we must make.  To be in each others space, to listen, to communicate and to share with those we care for.  Every day.  In some way. It might be as light a touch as a tweet, or a “like” on Facebook, or it might be a phone call or coffee.  But let’s commit to committing to ourselves and our special relationships.  Let us use the tools that seem to topical, so specious, to create lasting true relationships with a strategic few.  Let us truly grow and enrich our lives by inviting others to share with us.

Thank you Uncle Jon for reminding me that it’s not the number of connections I have, but the people in my heart that count.

Please share with us below how you commit to what is important  every day, so we can all learn from each other and create more lasting relationships.