Words of Wisdom…

Look both ways before you cross the street….don’t leap before you look…..hold hands….beware of stranger danger…. say please and thank you…treat others the way you want to be treated…

As children, we’re told these things (and many more) more times than we could count. The point? To imbed the words so deeply into our subconscious that we would never do such things without heeding the lessons that were given to us, thus, keeping us safe. It doesn’t quite work that way though…children get abducted, people get struck by cars and are rude and impolite…it’s all a part of life. Aside from that though, there is a whole different issue; there are the warnings you are not issued; the things that no one tells you as a child, so you have no way to expect it when it comes. These are the things I need to say…so that it’s out there for the world to see and hear.

People will disappoint you. They will do things you never thought them capable of….You have yourself to count on, and if you’re lucky, a few others…..You will have your heart broken, then broken again, and usually one more time before you find a man who can make it whole once more…..and most importantly, you should always treat people better than you want to be treated, and know that even if they are incapable of responding appropriately, the gesture will not go unnoticed.

The thing is though; we should also be telling these children (who by the way believe pretty much everything we say until they hit roughly six) that it’s not only the bad things they need to be warned about, but the good as well. For example;

Sometimes people will completely surprise you in the best ways possible…they will pick you up when you fall, and offer help when you least expect it and need it the most. People will remember the kindness you offer them, so keep on offering it, and not only will they remember it. If you’re lucky, they’ll respond in kind to someone else in need of a smile.

I have always been a lucky girl; I was given good examples of these things growing up though I was not lucky enough to have parents that thought to tell me these things before they set me loose in the world. Still, I was a smart kid, and I knew what was up, but for all those kids that were blasted out of nowhere when they found these inevitable truths out, this one’s for you.

Oh, and to make all of this easier to swallow, here’s a cute baby. Now we’re even.