Family Ties

So I went to Ottawa this weekend for my cousin's wedding. I had a lot of fun there visiting family, even though I was only there for roughly 22 hours. I stayed at my uncle and aunt's house and I love being there. They have a nice place in the country and are great hosts with great stories and fun! It was very interesting to talk to my aunt about mediation (she is also interested in it) and to see my cousin's child, who is growing up fast! One thing I noticed on the way home is the way that our stories run as a narrative. What's the best way to catch up with someone? Listen to their stories! The Dykstra clan are (I would say) known for their stories and their story telling abilities...so what do you get when you put a load of Dykstra's together? A load of stories! I love a good story and I love to hear the stories of my families lives.

Two of the things that struck me while I was in Ottawa was people's abilities to catch up so quickly, and secondly the way that people communicate with each other. One of the things that are incredible in relationships are the way people gel together so quickly, even if they haven't seen each other in a long time! In order to start bonding with someone you have not seen in a while it is important to re-establish the trust that was once there. By doing this a few sentences can usually catch you up to speed on the person's life. Apart of that re-establishing the trust is being genuinely interested in how that person has been. That is really something that you can not fake!

Secondly, like I mentioned before the way people communicate with each other. Some people are very factual, and others very abstract. My family is generally long winded :) and can tell stories seemingly forever, and I could sit there forever listening to the stories! I think though that my family (extended as well) relate to each other very well through stories, if you ever sit at a table with them, or a campfire, you are bound to hear hundreds of stories, sometimes the same ones (usually with added things :) ) but there is always new ones. They could tell an interesting story about grocery shopping.... I kid you not!

Anyways, as my story goes longer and longer, the point is to listen to those around you and show them your love and support, don't just sit around them, BE around them, enjoy them, listen to them, but most importantly be yourself around them