Boundaries

At various times of our lives each and every one of us put boundaries on ourselves and on others, and for numerous reasons. We do this sometimes unconsciously and at other times we make a conscious decision to mark our personal boundaries.

When our secure "self" is threatened in any way up come the barriers and we mentally and physically back away. This can be a good thing particularly when our standards and moral code are involved.

I found to my detriment in the past few years that people close to me can put up boundaries. I found close relatives' reaction to crises within the family did not coincide with my perception of how families should step up and help each other emotionally and physically. Those boundary walls did not take long to be erected. Where once was a perceived loving relationship in its place was remote coolness as if strangers had inhabited the bodies of my relatives.

It is a hard lesson to learn in life and indeed towards the autumn of your life when you expect most lessons have been learned. So the boundaries remain and I cannot breach them even though I have tried. Where is Henry V and his army when you need them to storm those battlements.