Human Nature

"To Be or Not To Be, That is the Question"

To Be the Best of Ourselves and Not the Worst of Ourselves.....

The complexity of Human Nature was never so obvious to me then it was this last month when family came from all over to Celebrate My Mom's Life.  The unbelievable kindness of some, the self-centeredness of others, the looking at the best in ones life and the looking at the worst from others.  Human Nature seems to be like the glass that is either half empty or half full.  I suppose the way we were raised, the trials, the achievements, the walls we've placed around our hearts and well as the love that we've allowed to flourish there all seem to contribute to the Nature of our own Humanity.  The Nature of who we were, who we are and who we will continue to become.

One of the last things my Mom said to me was ....."I hope you can all get along", referring to our family.  Interestingly enough, it's the family that seem to have the worse problems of getting along.  Through the course of the last month, as much as we reached out to part of our family, we were confronted with a closed door.  We tried and will continue trying but the time comes when we have to put the situation in God's hands because when we've done the Possible, He can do the Impossible.

With each family there are disagreements, disappointments, acts of anger and acts of injustice.  It's how we deal with those circumstances that brings out the Best or Worst of our Humanity.  I was amazed at so many different family members who had someone or several someones in their family that they no longer talked to, no longer had anything to do with, no longer seemed to consider part of the family.  Talking with them,  I found out sometimes it was just one act that caused that conflict.  With others it was a whole slew of acts that caused the division in their family.  Some told me of stories that they wanted so desperately to tell other family members so they would have a better understanding, a clearer picture at what was going on at the time. Because of the Hurt, the Anger, the Misunderstanding, it seems that so many have not been able to get past the point of letting the Best of Human Nature prevail and not letting the Worst consume them.

I've always heard that forgiveness is not for the sake of the other person as much as it is for us.  By forgiving, we are set free of that burden and are able to live our lives with a lighter load than before.  We are no longer weighed down by the conflict, the sadness, the separation, the loss but are set free to live life with more love, laughter and meaning.  I know that these words sound good but sometimes we feel the hurt is too deep, too painful and there is just no way we can let go of it.....

My Prayer is that we all can come to that place of Letting Go.......

The last few weeks have been a learning process for me.  I too held on to the resentment at times, was upset by the insensitivity of others words or actions, was totally blown away by decisions of loved ones that I couldn't imagine even attempting to understand.  The emotional ups and downs caused by other family members at a time when we were suffering such a huge loss were inconceivable.....but....I too had to Let It Go and Let God take the hurt, anger and disappointments away and live to the Best of My Human Nature and not the Worst of It.....

Life continues as long as there is breath for each of us and there will always be disappointments and conflicts but by God's Grace maybe each of us will take another look inside and learn to realize there is so much more to living this life than we are allowing ourselves because of the acts of others.......

LET GO......

BE THE BEST AND NOT THE WORST.....

Live, Love and Laugh Often and Never Forget To Dance.........

An Unexpected Adventure

Heading home to Texas at the end of January was a trip where my heart was heavy with the knowledge of how the trip would unfold.  I planned on going the same route I had gone so many times but this time I brought my Garmin GPS device just to break up the monotony.

Leaving Oklahoma City toward Perryton I noticed my Garmin was telling me to turn right in 31 miles....

WHAT......are you CRAZY

I've gone this way so many times I knew it had to be a mistake.  As I got closer to the turn off I thought Hmmmmm....turned off...then stopped...then turned around...then checked the GPS.  It was telling me I was going to get home about an hour sooner than I usually do......

Sooooooo...I thought.......Why Not.....

I was now putting my complete trust in a computer that was taking me to places I had never been and had no idea where I was going.  I was trusting this Australian Voice who had probably never been on the back roads of Oklahoma to get me home safely.  So the adventure began.

Much to my surprise I caught myself blown away by some of the beauty of the country side.  There were dried up creek beds filled with clusters of aged and tangled trees just waiting to have their picture taken.  There were small towns with one block main streets lined with store fronts looking the way they have for years and years.  There were old silent cemeteries scattered a cross the hill sides much like the small Ochiltree Cemetery where I would call my resting place one day.  The photographer in me was going crazy wanting to stop every half a mile or so and catch some glimpses of pure beauty with my camera but I knew the urgency to get home would not allow it this time. What amazed me most was that I was Smiling.....Smiling A Lot.

Again having no idea where I was but I was having an adventure that for the first time in a long time had me excited.

As I continued my trip I came across signs for Woodward Oklahoma. Finally I recognized a town I knew.  I hadn't been through Woodward in years....and I mean YEARS but it brought back some interesting memories.  I remembered one trip when I was maybe 5 or 6.  My Mom took my aunt to the doctor there.  She loaded up all of us kids and my aunts kids and headed out.  On the way back home my Mom and aunt were chatting away and before anyone knew it a police car was behind us with flashing lights.  Needless to say that was the first time I saw my Mom get a speeding ticket.  I also passed a large electrical plant or something....not sure what it is...but when we were about the same age we were headed toward Woodward one night on our way to a vacation somewhere.  The plant was all lit up at night and almost glowed.  Asking my parents what it was, they said that's where the Tooth Fairies Lived......yep...they did. Continuing through some of the small towns I remembered some of the names. I went to work with my Dad sometimes as he checked his wells and yep the old country roads out of those towns were where I first learned how to drive.

When I got to Perryton, I realized I was there an hour earlier and used a quarter of a tank of gas less than usual and that was good.....

But Most Importantly.....

I had an Adventure that I never expected.  My Australian Mate definitely knew where he was going and took me on a trip I won't forget for a long....long....time.