History often reveals what the participants could not see at the time. Memories are driving my recent reflections. These memories are influenced by the benefit of time, perspective, and contemplation. Candidly, I can see things today that I could not a year ago.
Individuals, as flawed as they might be, are great sources of inspiration and hope. Each is a child of Divinity. Each carries a longing within their heart and soul to experience and share acceptance, reflect, and community. I know it is hard to believe in a word filled with violence, pain, and injustice. I am not absolving or ignoring the failures of men. I am, on reflection, willing to start with the good that each brings to the life they find themselves in. I believe in the Divine starting point in every relationship; “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have – bless and bless and bless!” (Hebrews 6.14)
When one starts with the other, life reminds me that we start with hope. I have had years of getting to know myself. My knowledge is limited by my willingness to be aware and acknowledge. When I begin with the other, discovering the goodness, longings of the heart, and desires for a better future, I find myself experiencing how hope lives. It is a starting point that opens unseen doors to new opportunities to collaborate as brothers and sisters who belong to the same family and larger community.
As I echo the best in others, I discover the best within myself. As I take on the best examples and attributes of the people around me, I am building the best version of myself. It is a construction project that will last a lifetime in the hope that the best of me will find itself in the foundation of the following generation.
Life is both longer and shorter than one knows now. Looking back, I thought I had another decade with my father. It turns out that the best of him has an opportunity to live on within me and others he touched.
