Family Vs. Friends

The word family for some is defined by the bonds accumulated over time with blood relatives. To others, it means the strong bonds and relations birthed and maintained with individuals who aren’t of shared descent. In both contexts, we tried our best on Friday to understand the dynamic between the two and tried to understand if one held more weight than the other. Can a bond between a mother/father and a son/daughter ever be replicated between friends?

Some concluded that it sure can. I believe the natural fabric or essence of family extends beyond blood relatives. It may seem or sound foreign to many people but it has happened and it continues to. I believe a friend can be there to pick up the slack of a lackluster or absent parent to another friend without a doubt if the occasion presented itself. Some argued that limitations may arise and to that I agree. Expecting to receive identical parental treatment of endless patience and love – given to us by our parents – from a friend could be classified as foolish thought, however; it shouldn’t deter us from believing that a friend may be capable of those traits. And if you do come across such a friend, be open and be glad to call them family. In the end, family is what you make of it. I’m sure you’ve all heard that axiom one too many times but it’s true. I stand as an example of someone who has received such treatment from people who aren’t of my descent. These individuals are rare but they exist.

So in the end, if you already have such a friend, be sure to let him/her know how much you appreciate them for being in your life and make them aware of how proud you are to have them as part of your family. And lastly, if you are that friend to someone else, I commend you for stepping up to the plate and carrying out such an altruist act.

Is prejudice being masqueraded as true love?

Let us gather around this artificial bonfire. Go ahead and pick a seat where you’ll feel most comfortable. Found it? Great! Now, not to intentionally put you in the spot light but here’s a question I have for you. Before you blatantly shout out the answer, fix your posture and truly ponder over the question.

Can you honestly say you bear true love within you? Or are you masquerading prejudice as true love?

Go ahead, I’ll give you a much needed moment and when you’re ready, join us down below.

Recently I came across a very eye opening story written by a brilliant author. I felt it imperative to share this story in the hopes that it might get us to think and analyze ourselves sincerely.

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In a nutshell, the story follows a Saxon prince who’s to become king. The current king, his father, sends him out to battle in hopes that war will mold his childish prince into a firm ad tenacious man. The story then takes a turn when we the reader are informed that the king had no such plans and wanted his son dead all along, hence why he sent him out to war without experience. Along with his war servant, a drunk priest and his beaten army, the childish prince on his gruesome journey on the battlefield experiences an epiphany. His overseer or better yet, his beloved war servant is betrayed and killed in battle. So the prince morns deeply.

“War has taken someone who truly loved me.” said the weeping Prince. Meanwhile the drunken priest replied: “He did not love you.”

The prince, shocked by the priest’s wild statement exclaimed: “If my servant did not love me, then where might I find a man who properly embodies love?”

“Over there…” the priest pointed at a dead carcass. “It could be said that in death, he has become a thing of love. Far greater than any living being could hope to be. Already, he does not hate, does not kill and does no steal. Left where he is, he will selflessly provide sustenance for animals and insects. Buffeted by harsh winds and pelted by stinging rain, he will not utter a single word in protest.”

In turn, the confused prince asked: “Are you implying that death is the true nature of love? Is a parent’s love and affection for their kids or a husband’s or wife’s love for one another not real love?”

“It’s prejudice.” Boldly claimed the drunken priest. “They bear little difference from he who kneels before a king and then whips his slave. Your servant watched and killed as innocent lives were slaughtered for your sake. Prejudice!”

The childish prince stood in shock. He took a deep breath as the cold wind blew west. He bent and scooped the snow beneath his feet. As it dissolved in his small palm, he gazed at the mountains heads, he noticed the trees and the beaming sun above. After taking another deep breath, his eye widened as he felt a fog lift from his mind.

“I see.” said the prince. _________________________________________

After much thought and self-reflection, I can honestly admit I do not bear true love in my heart. And if I’ve told myself or others otherwise then that’s a lie I no longer wish to pursue. I’ve come to an understanding that true love is indeed selfless. True love knows no scheme; True love has no ulterior motives; True love does not boast nor shout; True love is silent in all that it does. Yes we say we love our kids. We say we love our girlfriends, wives, boyfriends, husbands, pets……ect. Yet, we are easily irritated by the slightest change in them that does not please our state of mind. And even when we say we love them unconditionally, we dislike, belittle or hate the one next to or beneath us. By some chance we do indeed love those next to or beneath us we’ll most likely dislike, belittle or hate the one in front or above us. (An endless cycle)

The question is, do we truly love or are we just bias? And if we are bias, how can we cultivate true love? Is true love even attainable to a mere mortal?

With that said, I leave you with this – Take your eyes away from this screen. Look around you. If you don’t like what you see, then change it. Do not allow them to break your spiritual core as it is the only spark that will set you free!

It all sounds GREAT, but what about us?

What’s the biggest popularity contest in the United States? Go on, I’ll grant you ten seconds. Still not enough, alright, twenty seconds. Okay, stop begging for more time you had your chance. Politics! Politics, politics, politics.

I can see you brooding. Don’t beat yourself over not getting the right answer. I can tell you this, you knew the answer all along, you were just too pre-occupied with other thoughts and that’s completely understandable. In this same sense, we can all come to the conclusion that modern politics, especially in the United States has been too pre-occupied for too long with matters that may seem and sound trivial to our survival but in retrospective fall flat to issues that really standout such as the impending implosion of a generation that has yet to reach thirty years of age. Instead, we’re constantly bombarded with celebrity “wanna be’s in suits” who bicker at each other non-stop on national television. Before I go any further, let us take a nose dive at the definition of the word “politics”. The dictionary states – “The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power”.

Debate? – We get plenty of that.

Conflict? – Don’t even get me started.

Parties hoping to achieve power? – Achieve power in order to create even more conflict.

Was I spot on with my reflection? If you’ve been paying attention to the 2020 presidential race, you’ll have most likely notice the same recurring issues take center stage over and over again. They all spit out the same big and bold statements followed by fraudulent promises which accomplishes absolutely nothing but boosts their egos. Climate change, jobs, equality for all, impeaching Donald Trump, stopping China and Iran, free everything, (Hahaha, free everything? Really?) climate change. (oops, sorry I already mentioned that. I can’t help myself since that’s all I’ve been hearing.)

Now, before you get all agitated and start molding negative thoughts about my opinion, let’s discuss and dig into an issue that trumps all these issues previously mentioned. An issue the majority of “parties hoping to achieve power” seem to neglect. The mental wellness of the future generations of this country.

You can’t have a properly functioning country, let alone a thriving economy with a generation that’s as lost and confused as an unborn child. Why is no one talking about the fact that an ever increasing amount of children are continuously growing up in discombobulated homes where both mother and father are endlessly working whether it be non-skilled or professional jobs? Plenty of evidence prove that without parental stability, chaos undoubtedly ensues. Why is no one talking about the fact that drugs and pornography are easily accessible to kids as young as eleven years old? Why is no one talking about the fact that mental illness is ever increasing in teenagers and young adults alike? The constant feed of information (sometimes meaningless) without proper guidance or explanation lead so many young ones astray. Those young ones who will one day hold professional positions in the working world will be expected to accomplish great feats, start a family..etc. How will they live up to societies expectations when they not only lacked parental advice because mom or dad was too busy working three jobs, but are so ill in the mind and lack any sense of direction? How will they strive to better themselves as human beings when their sense of morality and beliefs are endlessly contorted?

Eventually, in the near future, what you end up with is a society on the edge of a colossal meltdown. Regardless of how many jobs you create, how excessively you push for equality, how free you want to make education and insurance; it’s all futile if the people who are supposed to benefit are mentally ill, lost and honestly do not care.

To end, here’s my slogan for the 2020 election: Create strong minded individuals by making families great again! (Kind of cringe and unoriginal, I know. More reasons I should not be a politician.)