Disappointment

These days it's easy to grow weary and be disappointed. There is simply a lot of bad news circulating. The economy isn't doing well, we continue to discover how badly many have behaved, and there doesn't seem to be much of a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

The truth is, for a long time we have based our sense of well-being on financial stability and relative wealth. But these are false constructs, as we have suddenly come to re-realize in these past months. A society is only as strong as the foundation upon which it is built. When the house of cards comes tumbling down and the whole thing is revealed as a sham, it's difficult to regain a footing.

What is our reality? Upon what have we built our lives? What is truly important to us? These are the questions we need to be asking ourselves as we put one foot in front of the other and carry on with life.

One day folks will look back, and we will be judged not by the content of our bank accounts, but by that of our character.

Parents

I've spent a great deal of time and energy over the years dealing with my father--his emotional volatility, his difficulty in expressing love, his insistence on perfection from everyone but himself.

This morning I had a moment of grace as I realized how very much alike he and I are, and I wondered how difficult it must have been for him in those times of self-realization, when he understood the effects of his being, particularly on those whom he loved, and felt powerless to do anything about it.

I am not my father. I am my own self. And yet there is much to be learned from walking a mile in the shoes of others. I want to grow and become a better person with each new day, to transcend the physical limitations of this world and embrace that which is beyond my imagination. Maybe my father can show me how after all...