You hear about it all the time, family. For many of us it is the core of our being and the reason behind so many of the decisions we make. "What's best for the family?" is often the question being asked.
The problem is that we often confuse our two families, our Masonic family, and our immediate family.
How many times have you been asked to do something for your Masonic family? It starts out small, like bringing something to eat for the after meeting fellowship. Then you find yourself becoming an officer, sitting on committees, volunteering for the upcoming fundraiser, or any number of upcoming projects or events. You do it because your Masonic family "needs" you, there's no one else to fill the void, so you soldier on giving another evening or weekend in service.
But what about your other family?
We live in an age when not every member of a family is tied to a Masonic organization, or wants to be. They don't want to go to every dinner, fundraiser, or public event that you're going to go to. They still want to see you, they need you need to make the time for them, and not a wave and a smile while at a Lodge event.
I've always said that your religion, work, and family need to come before a commitment to your Lodge. The order of those three items will change from time to time due to circumstances however they all should be considered before you step foot in a Lodge room. You need those three properly attended to or you won't be able to focus on being at Lodge, nor will you be able to enjoy those items when you return to them.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US. As with everything these days it has changed over the last few years due to the pandemic and to the realizations of what it means culturally to the greater population. Regardless of how you look at, many look at it as a day to give thanks for those around us and what we have. A fleeting moment to reflect on this particular point in time and to just be present. Something we all too often don't do in our society, slowing down for a moment isn't what we're taught.
So whether you celebrate this particular holiday or not, make time to break bread with your family and do your best to be present - maybe even shut off your phone for just a couple of hours. The time we have with our family and friends is far shorter than we realize and we would do well to put family first, even if it's just for a while.