Doing the Best They Can

Taking the next step.

I'm starting to come to grips on how my family raised me. People say to me "They raised you the best they could." But I often ask myself if that was really the case. I think that's why I have such a difficult time forgiving them. I have trouble believing that they did try their hardest to raise me, tried their hardest to love me, to show me right from wrong. I have tried, tried hard to look for examples where they went out of their way to show me they loved me. Instead all I find are instances where they felt obligated or else when it didn't cost them any time or energy.

So I guess the next step for me in the forgiveness of my family is moving past the idea they didn't raise me the best they could, and if I can forgive them for that. I already have forgiven them for a lot in the past, and as we are getting older we have been growing much closer. But this last step in forgiveness I think is the final one, and like almost all last steps, it's going to be the hardest.

"A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others" - The Wizard of Oz

I Blog, Therefore I Am

My blog exists for a couple of reasons. I originally started this because I like to think that I have some thought provoking ideas, and that I would like to share those ideas with others. There are two main reasons for my ambition to share. One is that I hope to perhaps invoke thought in others, to start a chain reaction of thinking, to maybe open a new door or turn on a new light bulb in other's heads. Another reason is for debate. I like it (and appreciate it) when others comment and critique what I have to say. I would like someone else to turn on a new bulb inside my psyche. By expressing myself in this medium, I hope that people out there ingest what I write, swirl it around in their minds, digest the meaning, and perhaps excrete something that I have totally never thought of. I hope to expand minds out there, and in return, have mine grow as well.

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." - Thomas Edison

Love Sometimes Means Letting Them Fall

One of the toughest things about a parent, mentor, or even a friend is letting someone you care about make their own mistakes. It's a necessary part of growth sometimes. As much as we never want to see the ones we care about get hurt, as much as we want to shield them from pain, those two things (hurt and pain) I believe are an important part of the growing and developing process. I'm not saying that you shouldn't talk to your kids about drugs or not stopping them from doing blatantly dangerous and wrong things like playing with guns or let discrimination go unchecked. There are some mistakes that should NEVER be made. I'm talking about life's lessons, lessons about love, faith, careers, friendship. Listening to them and education is at times, is all you can do. But even then sometimes the ones you love don't want to listen. And as much as you want to force them down what you think is the correct path, to steer them clear of danger, sometimes that force will lead them to resent you, and even rebel against you. To love someone is to set them free to walk their own path, and when they do stumble, when they do fall and get hurt, be there to bandage the wound, kiss it better, and help them back up to walk again. Sheltering someone you love may make you feel safe, but is your piece of mind worth their lack of freedom and a chance of learning a life lesson?

"I will keep faith when yours is gone, I will keep hope when you need to carry on." - Sunrise Seeker