(My families dainty Christmas tree, all decorated up by my three eldest children.)Just watched a program about expectations. It shared the importance of finding the fine balance between bonding and empathising with the people you are close to and then expecting them to be like you.
When you start to see the similarities you will often assume they see, think and will react in the same way as you, or that their life is very much like yours. The fact is no matter how much we empathise, or connect, with people we are putting our slant on that too and we have to remember they are their own person.
The best thing we can do for those we love, in this regard, is empathise with them and wrap that in love so it doesn’t leak into unrealistic expectations of them. Expect too much, and then others failing you hurts, but it wasn’t that person who failed you as much as it could be you putting too much on them.
Assume the best of people when they make decisions that ‘let us down’. Seek to understand where they are coming from, and that it might be unlike anything in your world view; then offer your loved ones a large dose of grace.
TTFN
