Lifetree News
Creating Prosperity with Harmony
Alice G. Vlietstra, Ph.D. Editor

August, 2011 -- The Imporance of Family Values

In ths issue:

1.  Welcome
2.  The Importance of Family Values
3.  Identifying Your Family Values
4   The Power of the Positive

1.  Welcome

In this e-newsletter I would like to share some of my reflections on the passing of my beloved and much admired mother.  Many of you have expressed your condolences and I thank you for your lovely and comforting words.  I want you to know that I am at peace with my mother’s passing, as is my entire family.  We are focusing, not on her departure, but on the many blessings bestowed on us
during her lifetime.

My mother was 91 when she passed away, August 18, quietly and peacefully at home, surrounded by the support and love of her family.  For the last two years, everyone has been making peace with the idea that our mother would soon be gone.

2. The Importance of Family Values

My mother was a woman of great faith and instilled in all of us the value of family, community, a lifetime love of learning, and consistent positive action.  These values gave us strength and prepared us for her passing because we knew that through these values her spirit would live on. 

Family are the people to whom we are the closest.  Today, many experience family by affinity, as well as by blood line, by being connected through common values.  These values help us to navigate challenge and change.   You do not wait for someone to die to think about your values.   Often you can discover your family values in your cherished family stories. Encourage your family members to talk about what is important to them.  What challenges have you overcome?  Watch for the consistent themes.  It is likely to reflect your deeper values.  By becoming clear on your family values, you become more centered within yourself.  This will enable you to gracefully handle the challenges in your life.

Identifying Your Family Values

I want to share with you some of my mother’s characteristics that made her so special to us. I do so with the hope that you might reflect on your own family values. It will help you see your family with new eyes and a growing love and appreciation.

My mother was a woman with incredible drive, energy, and passion.  She was a help to our father throughout his life, being critically involved in everything he did in business, education, church and raising the family.  My father was a visionary encouraging people to go to school; mother was the disciplined organizer made sure things got things done.  With a “push” from our father, she raised six us kids through college, while attaining Ph.D. herself.  This occurred at time when such accomplishments for women were unheard of.   She worked as an educator for many years.

She had a deep love for learning and keeping the family connected.  For over 20 years, she sent out one page weekly family newsletter with a distribution list of over 100 people.  This was back in the days before email. It included family news and article clippings on topics of interest to us.  In her 70’s, she even taught herself to read and write Swedish, and so she could send the newsletter to family in Scandinavia.
 
She was a woman of a deep abiding faith. She read her Bible, praying for every single person in our family every day. You could see her faith in her sense of gratitude and the consistent focus on the positive.  We heard it often, “If it doesn’t help, don’t say it.” If we complained, she turned it to good.  For example, if we complained about work, she would say “Be thankful you have a job.”   Other times we heard, “Never mind, just hang in there.”  Or, you only need to do it “One moment at a time.”

Most powerful to me was her quietness we were having differences.  There were no favorites and no comments.  When discussions were loud, her quietness spoke volumes.  I reminded us we had to turn to a power greater than ourselves.  The solution did not rest with any one person; we had to reach out to a Higher Source.   In the last day she was lucid, her last words were “I have been deeply blessed.”  I am honored to be her daughter and carry on the inspiration she gave us.


3. The Power of the Positive

Due to my mother’s passing, last month’s Teleconference the “Power of the Positive”  Was not held.  It is being rescheduled for Tuesday, September 13th at 9:00 AM CDT.

Learn how to face your challenges by identifying your deeper values and capacities for growth. We will have a special focus on the contributions of women.  I will bring out women's contributions to development and growth.  Dr. Jane Granskog will be sharing on the contribution of women from the broader context of cultural anthropology.

Join us to learn about:

1.  The strengths that bring us through transition and change.
2.  The importance of nurturance and bonding with each other
3.  The unique strengths of the feminine

This is in honor of all of our mothers.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Alice