Hope

When my mother and father would have a fight, I would go from room to room making sure they were alright.  Sometimes, they would both be crying.  Is that why I am so empathetic?  Is that why I hate disharmony of any kind?  When troubles brewed in the neighborhood, the lady next door would yell out into the backyard from her door,  "Why can't you kids just get along?"   Good question.  Why can't we get along?  We all want different things.  We all have varying perspectives.   Then there are the moral issues that can cause strife, conflict and confusion-like sex and drugs.   

Most often, I pray by myself.  We gave up family sessions due to disruptive behaviors that occurred and really bad attitudes.  Perhaps I could have been more persistent.  Forcible compliance just seems counter productive to spiritual growth.  So instead Jerry and I try to model a spiritual life together, as best as we can with our human condition.  We are far from perfect.  We stumble a lot.  Alone and together.

Someone once gave me this sage advice in my role as a parent, “You must always have hope.  They must see the hope in your eyes. You need to give them hope.”  I am going to pray now.