This morning I decided to take a break from getting my house back in order after getting new carpet installed yesterday. As I logged into facebook, I was feeling really overwhelmed by the amount of work still needing to be done until I saw the above image on my news feed and I immediately felt silly and selfish. My issue of having a house in dissaray seems non-existent in comparison to the countless people out there who live every day without adequate food, clothing and shelter.
It also reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend a few days ago. She is having problems with her 29-year old daughter who just recently quit trade school without any explanation and moved back home - no job and no car. My friend's life was completely turned upside down in a matter of days because her daughter decided she didn't want to be a grown up anymore. She was back to expecting her laundry done, her shopping list not only paid for but picked up and her meals cooked and plate washed after every meal.
This apparently freed her up not to go out and look for a job but to shop on her mom's dime and party till all hours of the night, then sleep all day. My friend loves her daughter very much so she gives in every time, thinking she is only doing what a parent should do but I have to wonder (despite my lack of experience) is this the right thing to do? Is she teaching her daughter anything by doing everything for her? Enabling her to continue wasting her life away partying and sleeping all day?
We all have a tendency to forget that it is OUR life after all, nobody else's and entitlement for some reason seems to be running rampant these days. "You are my Mom - therefore you should ALWAYS support me." This is a very large pill for me to swallow - it just doesn't seem right and where does the feeling of entitlement come from? I can tell you that from what I have seen, it can cause a great deal of guilt, anguish and stress for any mother who loves their child.
I wish I could help my friend more - all I could really do is listen and offer my encouragement and support. I wish we all could pay more attention to those who have very little or nothing at all instead of focusing our attention to the material things we want and worse yet, forcing those closest to us to adhere to our wishes and wants. Life isn't about the things we posess, it's about the relationships we build, the memories we create and the obstacles we overcome.
When others do for us, we miss out on the feeling of real accomplishment. When we've done something all by ourselves - regardless of the work, blood, sweat and sometimes tears - the things we work hardest for are usually the same things that reap the best rewards. It's easy to lose sight of this especially when you are in the trenches and feeling completely overwhelmed but it is possible to pull ourselves out of the situation long enough to gain some persepective, like the image above that was posted on somebody's wall this morning.
I'm glad that I took the time to log in to facebook because I see now how silly my feelings were - perspective gained by one powerful image. It's easy to look away and toss the lesson to be learned aside, especially when the image is not a happy one, but in my experience, you usually gain so much more.
How does this image change the way you see your current situation or life?
Enjoy the Day!
Missy
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