thread
Family
He questions why compassion falters with those closest to him.
- posts
- 18
- first seen
- 2006
- last seen
- 2026
what the thread reveals
machine-assisted · human-reviewed
The theme of family is a significant thread throughout Matthew Williamson's archive, with posts like A Code of Conduct for My Family (2007) and Kids, Compassion and Life (2007) highlighting his efforts to cultivate compassion and kindness within his family. In A Code of Conduct for My Family, he emphasizes the importance of respecting all beings, including family members, and easing suffering wherever it is found. Over time, his reflections on family evolve to include more personal and introspective stories, such as Dragonfly Magic (2009) and Dreams and Tears (2008), which reveal a deeper exploration of his relationships and emotions. In his more recent post, The Fire Between Us (2026), he continues to grapple with the complexities of family dynamics, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to understanding and nurturing his connections with loved ones.
the thread through time
oldest first
2007
- Quiet Forgiving: Loving Kindness with Chenrezig I am terrible at remaining calm and staying in a forgiving state of mind. I too quickly allow myself to become upset and angry when people, especially those peo... Compassion · Inner Peace · Personal Growth
- Mother's Day and Compassion Spent yesterday with the family. Most of the day was just at home with my wife and children, it was nice and quiet. We watched a couple of sappy movies, which m... Compassion · Personal Growth
- Kids, Compassion and Life I talk pretty big about compassion. I even try to live the talk, and I think I do a good job with almost every one I come across; but I fail with my family. Why... Childhood · Personal Growth
- Thank You Mom I was watching people at lunch today, sitting alone in the corner at Taco Bueno , eating my bean burritos and thinking. There was a mom feeding her son a taco. ... Compassion · Personal Growth · Spirituality
- A Code of Conduct for My Family This is a list of thoughts, actions and ways. It is written to help you, and all of us to be kinder, more compassionate people. I believe that our job in this l... Compassion · Personal Growth
2008
- Smoklahoma (Feature Story from 1994) Note: I wrote this in 1994 for my college newspaper. I found it again this morning and thought I would post it here. He sits at a small wooden table, eating rib...
- Dreams and Tears Last night I had a dream that shook me... My grandfather holds the steering wheel too-tight in his liver-marked and frail hands. My grandmother sits beside me i... Childhood · Consciousness
2026
- The Fire Between Us A movie that will never get made — five legendary Native American actors around a high desert fire, each telling a story they shouldn't be able to forget.
- Beau: Chapter Eight — The Grandmother's Story She comes back on a Saturday, which she never does, with scones and a decided expression. On the walk she tells Clementine about the moor, the gold light that would not darken, and twenty minutes that lasted hours. Human Connection · Nature
- Beau: Chapter Seven — The Shape in the Corner The Grandmother comes for tea and Clementine's mother becomes a slightly different version of herself. Then the cold arrives — not November cold, a cold with attention — and Beau stops playing the fool. Darkness Attraction · Childhood
- Beau: Chapter Four — The Rain-Night The rain does not stop and the house gets smaller. Beau lies in the hallway watching the door, and what happens that night is not funny at all. Childhood · Darkness Attraction
- Beau: Chapter Two — The Gold-Hour An ordinary Thursday turns gold. Beau puts on a performance with a slipper, and afterward the thin corner by the coats is only a corner again. Childhood · Animal Welfare
- Beau: Chapter One — The Three Names Beau comes to live with the Finch family on a Tuesday in October. The family gives him three names and thinks they are jokes. Clementine, who is seven and three-quarters, notices they are not. Childhood · Animal Welfare