Any Who Love You…

“We are most of us very lonely in this world; you who have any who love you, cling to them and thank God.” These words suggest something of the searching of soul that comes when we ask ourselves how much we mean to others, how much they mean to us; how much our presence or absence means to anyone, how much difference it would make if we were in or out of the world, how much we would be missed. This line of thought leads us to look at loved ones, at those we belong to, those who belong to us, and leads us to know the deep importance of family love and loyalty. How blessed to be able to turn homeward when we are tired or ill or discouraged, or just plain weary of the ways of the world⎯weary of small talk, impersonal people, and the endless round of routine. How blessed to belong, and how much we owe those who are there, just for the blessing of belonging, just for a place in the family circle. We may become bored or irritable at times with home and family and familiar surroundings. All this may seem unglamorous, with a sense of sameness, and other places may sometimes seem more exciting. But when we have sampled much and wandered far and seen how fleeting and sometimes superficial some other things are, our gratitude grows for the privilege of being part of something we can count on⎯home and family and the loyalty of loved ones. Friends enrich life, and the days would be poor and emptier without them. Professional people are appreciated, and add much of service and assurance, but more and more we come to know how much it means to be bound together by duty, by respect, by belonging, and nothing can fully take the place of the blessed relationship of family life. “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs,” said George Moore, “and returns home to find it.” “We are most of us very lonely in this world; you who have any who love you, cling to them and thank God.”