As we age, I imagine we move up in the family tree. As babies, we begin at the root of the family tree with our parents and other family members protecting us as we grow. As we get older, we begin to branch off as our own limbs on the family tree and when/if we should marry and have children of our own, we develop our own branches off of our family trunk of love.
As the family tree increases, peopled with loving connections, it grows. New branches and connections are formed to increase the tree’s size. At mid-life though, something happens. We begin to be in the middle or higher branches of the tree. No longer are we one of the younger whipper-snappers, but we are now parents, aunts, uncles, and maybe even grandparents and we rise in the tree. No longer are we establishing our branches. We are expanding them with offshoots by our own family increasing in size.
When my father died, I was too grief-stricken to feel the shift that happened. But I feel it now. We’ve recently had a cousin of my Dad’s generation pass away. No longer am I a child, but an adult, and I feel it’s my duty to represent our family limb in the passing of a beloved family member from another of the tree’s offshoots.
I guess it’s the way life progresses, but it was an eye-opening moment for me when I realized that I’m nearing the upper echelon of the tree. I’m grateful that I’m a part of such a lovely family tree and I’m honored to be a part of the rising branches within our family tree.
Are you feeling that change in the generations too? I guess as we age or under certain circumstances, we become the older generation, ready to nurture the younger ones as time goes by. It’s all a part of the cycle of life.
Shine On!
xo
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