I suffered the impending loss of a loved one lately and It fell upon me that “I love you wasn’t enough”. After desperately considering all that could be said I found but one thing that seemed to fit. Unfortunately the opportunity was missed, I relate it here so some may find solace in it.
Your neighbor is a fireman and you learn about firemen from him and from his children. You will generalize from your experience and look at all firemen in much the same way as your neighbor. Your teacher is a fisherman and you learn about fishing from him, again you will generalize about fishermen and think of your teacher and his preferences when you reference fishing.
Each person in our lives comes playing a role of some sort. Our mother represents a multitude of roles female, our father represents many roles male. To a lesser or perhaps greater extent, brothers, sisters, friends and all, give us lesson after lesson on approaching the human condition.
This is how you have made me. What I am in my approach to my life is the culmination of what I learned from all of you.
So perhaps you may give your mind some pause with your next personal encounter to look at the tweaks you have made in your approach or your philospohy based upon the one you are encountering. Yes, feel the love for sure, but look into the nuts and bolts of who you are to find their mark, their extension of your experience to draw on.
Nearly everyone you encounter has something you can learn from. Nearly everyones’ thoughts when shared will leave a permananent mark on who you are. Understand the value of others, be open, listen, share.
So yes, dear cousin, I most certainly love you, but I also thank you for what you brought to my life. I will always look at the world a little differently because of the special way of looking at the world, you showed me.
