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| The Family History Project has inspired me to savor the good times. This is a picture of my sister and I many years ago enjoying a moment at beautiful woodsy camp in NH. |
If you are like me, a person who sees limitless potential for good, but is challenged by the time and energy to do that good, you have to continually remind yourself that it's best to do the good that you can, and then not worry about what you can't do. None of us are superhuman--no one can do it all. The best we can do is to take one step after the other in a positive direction keeping your values and priorities at the forefront.
You also have to treat others with that same respect and acknowledgement--no one is superhuman, and everyone is compromised from time to time. For example, last night I was thinking about a time in life when someone hoped I could do more. I felt bad at the time that I didn't have the energy, inspiration, or time to do what that person hoped I would--I was flat out with my own work, family, and other constraints. I thought of that last night as it was a moment when I wished that person could do more, but it's clear, he is too busy right now to add anything else to his plate.
That same truth is evident as I research for the family history project I'm involved in. One person from the past had a very interesting life, yet many of her family members at the time did not have much contact with her. When you examine the facts, you can see that family members at the time were on very, very different paths. One was a relatively young single woman who had few direct family members around to counsel her or support her. Plus she was a woman who appeared to not fit neatly into the popular social categories of the time. In many ways, she was forging her own path while the others in her family were very busy with homes, children, husbands, and day-to-day jobs and responsibilities--life that was mostly more common and acceptable in the place where they lived. What's interesting is that when you study the members of the family from that time period, there was a lot they had in common with regard to interests, but time and place made it difficult for them to connect.
These scenarios support my three-dimensional view of life as a path we journey where there are some that walk with us and support us along the way and here are others that are almost always there, but there's little contact. There are still more who weave in and out of your life that may challenge, support, and/or inspire you--some weave in and out continuously while others may be there for as little as a moment or two.
As I watch my parents age, this life road metaphor becomes clearer. Many that my parents enjoyed significant times with have already passed away, and others, because of age-related issues, are rarely to never present in their lives anymore. At this late stage in life, the prominent people are those that visit regularly or provide services like those that deliver the mail, work at the grocery store, provide medical services, and call from time to time.
Over time, life changes. What you can do for others changes too. The best we can do is to give what we can when we can, and to treat others along the path with the grace and understanding they deserve--we're all journeying our paths, and most, if not all, are trying to do what they can to live good lives for themselves and others. This is the way of things--a way we can embrace with love, good will, and promising direction. That's what makes life meaningful and positive going forward. Live well.