Last night I lay in my bed in my travel trailer and contemplated choices that we make in our lives. Our lives are made up of choices that we, and we alone, make. Others may influence our choices, but they cannot make them for us.
I am presently in Tennessee visiting “my sister” who is dying of cancer. She isn’t my biological sister, but could not be more of a sister, even if she were. And I am so thankful to have had her a part of my life. She has made a major life choice, and that is to die with dignity and grace, and a peaceful heart. That is what started my thinking on our making of choices in our lives.
As small children our choices are made for us, but at a very young age we begin making our own choices. Many of our teens choose a life of drinking, drugs, and mayhem, despite our teachings. Most of the time we, as parents and friends cannot influence those choices. We must choose..do we stick our heads in the sand and, because we love them so much, enable them by making excuses for their bad choices, or do we direct our love toward them by excepting the fact that they have made their choices, and that they must make new choices in their lives to become the beautiful persons they were meant to be? And pray that is what happens?
I move on to the choices we as adults must make…and every single day of our lives is made up of choices. Life would be much easier if someone would just make our daily choices for us, but we must not allow that to happen. We can’t let anyone else dictate our choices…do we choose happiness and contentment, despite our material possessions? Do we find our own contentment in life, or live with others unhappiness heavy on our hearts. I don’t mean that I think we should be unfeeling or uncaring about others…just the opposite actually. We are meant to be loving creatures, but don’t think we should destroy ourselves in the process, nor should we set out to harm others by our choices.
I think we are probably meant to give our love and compassion to another human being, a life partner, a person to spend our lives with, but love is not always enough, nor easy. It takes real effort, and once in a while hard work to make that kind of life workable, and there are times that escaping seems the best of choices. It takes making the right choices on the part of both people, and for each others good. Would that we could each be Scrooge for just one night, to see into our future based on our choices….
I sometimes hate it when I get into this depth of thinking, but perhaps others would like to share their thinking with me, and help to settle my mind…speak to me, please.
LivingYoung 