Each family occupies a privileged place in the soul of its members… how obvious and how mysterious.

Among so many forms that a family takes in each member, I reflect on that of the family as a school.

Consciously or unconsciously, insistently or patiently, gently or aggressively, the family as the soul’s school illuminates working points to straighten up. It is an everyone with everyone phenomenon; whether we want it or not, sooner or later, near or far, the family as the soul’s school mobilizes us from the pleasant to the unpleasant, from the ideal to the pathetic, from joy to pain, from pride to shame. Maybe it sounds depressing …; but it’s real …; and universal.

The uncomfortable, unwanted family experience is not optional. What we can choose is to take advantage of those movements to try to stand up; how difficult. What we can choose is to accompany each other in those movements. What a blessing.

We end the year 2022 celebrating the Holy Family Day; In this new year, I ask them to bless us and help us sacralize ours a little more.