wisdom

The End

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I was working on the back cover art and came up with the illustration shown above.

Feedback from my family:

“That first little chameleon is so cute!”

“Um, that second one is humping the dad.”

“Yeah, why’s she humping his dad?”

Lots of laughing.

I started over. There were murmurs that the second baby chameleon was doing something x-rated to the sibling.

“Move the second chameleon up higher, she still looks like she’s humping her dad.”

<Heavy sigh>

Despite the pain, feedback IS valuable.

I’m going with this one:

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I just need to make the cover and I’ll be ready to start the self-publishing process…

Soul in Manacles

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“If someone else can decide what will happen within you right now, isn’t that the ultimate slavery?”

Sadhguru

 

“He’s a narcissist and he’s dating that whore.”

This is something she said for over eight years. Eight years. She wore bitterness on her sleeves, she spoke of her ex-husband – their father –  like this openly.  In her desire to vent and let her ego shine, she cast a dark shadow on her sons.

What she didn’t realize was that she had no control over his actions, but she DID (and still does) have control over her own thoughts and actions. When we get angry about the words and actions of others, we have just placed manacles on our own words and actions. We have become slaves to others, allowing our moods to be swayed by them.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Kiss your ex goodbye, wish him well and move on.

 

 

“Your” Children

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Dandelion Watercolor

One of the biggest lessons in life I’ve had to unlearn is that my children are “mine.”

Gibran’s words are plain and true:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

Kahlil Gibran

Too many parents believe their children are a reflection of themselves. Our job as parents is to provide nourishment and safety for these souls. But they are whole people already – we do not – SHOULD not – impose our dreams on them.

 

Writing prompt: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Student: This prompt makes me sad. Because I don’t know. My parents tell me I must be either be an engineer or a doctor. I cannot have a job that pays less than that.

Teacher: Well, let’s say your parents tell you that you can pursue ANY profession that you want. What would it be?

Student: I don’t know…I don’t know, because I’ve never even thought of it.

Why do parents tell their kids how to live your lives when they have their own?

 

By the way, Gibran never had children. Maybe he could be this wise because he had the distance necessary to see the whole picture.