As it is the holiday season I’ve been thinking a lot about the concepts of home and family.  Over the last five years I have moved just shy of a dozen times. Each one of those moves seemingly necessary at the time as I hunted for the full-time job that would be the basis for the rest of my career.  During this same period a lot has happened to my family – deaths (4), divorce (mom and dad), and deteriorating relationships (my father and I).   I don’t think there is an aspect of my life that hasn’t undergone large amounts of uncertainty and change and for once in a long time I am starting to realize what each of these challenges has done for me.

I could rattle on about all of the things I have learned or considered, but I’d rather concentrate on the two I consider to be tied for the most important.  Not only are they the heaviest on my heart, they also give me an opportunity to work in a little social commentary on things that many of us our raised to know but we never really understand until we find them for ourselves.

The first topic is Faith.  I was not raised in a religious household by any means.  My father was (and still is) very cynical when it comes to knowing the Lord or having any similar feelings.  My mother is very hesitant when it comes to the matter, but is beginning to head in a positive direction in her own way.  In high school I began to search out the truth for myself and began my path of Christianity.  Now that I am older I understand more and more the importance of faith in a society.  I fully believe in everyone’s right to believe what they want to believe as far as a deity or religion goes, however I think everyone should find something to believe in – even if you want to just believe that humans are inherently good.  A belief or faith in something will lead to positive moral values in most cases – something I think much of my generation lacks.  Many of the people I know (especially in my age group) choose the easier option or the option that “feels good” when faced with a difficult decision instead of considering what is morally right or how it affects others.  I have made more than my fair share of bad decisions, but I have found myself turning to my faith more and more for answers to what is right when it comes to the tough decisions of life; and, to be honest, sometimes the right decision is hard and absolutely no fun or benefit for me, but it is still the right decision.   Since I have been making a conscious effort to do better at making the morally correct decision, I have noticed more and more things in life settling down and falling into place.  I think if everyone started looking at what is morally right and found a little faith – whatever that faith may be – the world would be a better place.

My second topic is partially related to the first. You must work for everything.  I was raised with this pounded into my head.  My dad’s take was always that you had to work hard for everything because the world was out to get you.  I don’t think the world is out to get me – or anyone for that matter.  I just think that everything worth having is worth working for.  No one is entitled to anything other than their life and freedom, beyond that it is up to them what they make of the precious gift that they have received.  We all have different dispositions in life, but we do not have to be beholden to them.  Each of us is capable of making changes in our lives, finding opportunities, and asking for help, but opportunities and help will only be of assistance if each of us is willing to work hard to make something of it.  I am tired of hearing people I know talk about how they have it “so bad” when they were raised in a middle class family and just simply don’t understand what it means to work for what you want.  They expect something to be handed to them, but when an opportunity is handed to them they don’t know what to do with it because it still requires them to work for something.  Unfortunately this also creates feelings of jealousy in society towards those who have worked hard and come out on top.  They feel they are entitled to some of the results of hard work.  The claims then start flying about unfairness and excuses start piling up as to why they haven’t even made a dedicated attempt to strive for a goal.  I was sitting in my recliner earlier today admiring my Christmas tree and watching football when I began to reflect about my position in life.  I came from a poor family where neither of my parents had a four year college degree.  I am not entirely sure my mother’s parents every graduated high school. Yet here I am, almost 24, sitting in fully furnished house I own in a decent neighborhood, a late model car in the driveway, and working on a Master’s degree.  I have owned a company that was successful at its high point. I have an annual income higher than both of my parents combined and I am beginning to build a career that has a promising path.  I wasn’t given these things. I worked hard for them.  I’ve put in my eighty hour workweeks – my blood, sweat, and tears.  I am in love with wonderful gal and I have some wonderful friends.  Those relationships aren’t easy either.  They require lots of hard work.  Sometimes I just want to walk up to people and lovingly communicate the fact that they would get a lot farther in life if they spent as much time working toward a goal as they did complaining about how much they wish they could change their position in life.

These are both things that many of us claim to know but we don’t understand and therefore can’t practice.  Personally I have a lot of work to do on both of these points, as there is always room for growth.  I have just been thinking about them a lot lately and wanted to share.  Thanks for letting me ramble.