The Truest Measure of Blood

It sometimes amazes me the things that make us who we are. So many variables, including country/state/local of birth, race, gender, physical build, temperament, socio-economic situation, etc, ad nauseum, all add up to produce an individual that is totally unique, no matter how similar to his/her peers he/she may appear to be. The real tragedy occurs when the "human factor" plays it's irritating hand. A person who could have had a pleasant upbringing due to his economic situation might instead think back to having spent time in hell, only because their parents decided to inflict their child with a home that was so counter to their surroundings as to make them feel like aliens in the greater scheme of things.

The worst offender when it comes to this morbid influence on our lives is, of course, religion, whether that be mainstream or of the cult variety. When we as humans decide to accept a belief system as rock solid fact, we tend to attempt to indoctrinate our children into accepting these same beliefs, no questions asked, and we tend to get bent out of shape when our children, as children tend to do, question those assertions we hold so dear. I suppose it is only normal that we get upset that our children decide not to take what we try to cram down their throats at face value, but to DISOWN, or at the very least DEVALUE our offspring for daring to think for themselves, well, that to me smacks of a certain kind of fratricide. You might as well just sacrifice your own children on the alter of intolerance if you think less of them for daring to seek their own paths in life. In addition to that, why don't you ask yourself why you even had children at all if all you really wanted were identical little cloned copies of yourself, happy to accept whatever dogma is fed you, rather than to dare question it? Have you no faith that daring to QUESTION your faith could possibly make that faith even stronger? If so, then allow THEM that same respect and be willing to accept the possibility they might come to some different conclusion than you did. Is your love strong enough?

I happen to have a family that is as diverse in it's characteristics as this country is diverse; creed, temperament, and ability to think critically. Some of this diversity is divisive; Parents are estranged from their children, and some children think less than highly of their parents. Yet, in this late stage of my life, I find myself fervently hoping that just like this country of mine, this family can somehow rise above all those petty things that tear families apart, to no good end and for no truly defensible reason. I love my family, despite many perceived reasons not to, and I want them to love me back, equally, despite whatever motivates them to love anything in their lives. There are things about their belief systems that, if I were to allow it, would make me think less of them, but I HAVE to believe that love of family trumps everything. If it doesn't, then we should just accept the fact that we really are all on our own in this harsh world we humans have created for ourselves, with no safe harbor to turn to when fate has it's way with us in a less-than-desirable manner.

All of you reading this post today, I know, if from nothing else than my own unique experience, that life is not fair, that no one has any kind of carte-blanche on perfection, and that relationships can be complicated. That's why we sometimes have to take those long, hard steps towards the middle, meeting these people related to us at least halfway, and yes, sometimes even reaching a bit further from our side if that's what it takes. Yes, there are alternatives. Settle for them if you must, but please, just ask yourself if those alternatives really ARE all that superior to simply growing up and loving your family, no matter how insufferable they might be. They just might return the favor.