Daily Prompt:  Portion

When we are born into a family, we have no say in who that family is. We depend on this family for all of our needs. As we grow, we develop a relationship with our family and they lovingly teach us everything we need to know about our life.

Soon we learn how to interact with our bigger family. Our cousins, playmates and neighbors. Without realizing it, we are having our personalities shaped by our evolving environment. We learn to make the right choices about who and what we want and like.

Then we begin our formal education. Going to school introduces us to many new influences. Our teachers and classmates all make an impression on us. Sometimes that impression is not acceptable to how our family has raised us. When we share that impression with our parents, they lovingly discipline us.

After learning all of the lessons we have been taught growing up, we are in a position to make decisions on how we wish to spend our lives. What career to choose, who we marry and where we will live. We carve out our portion of life with the knowledge that our family loves and supports us and so we can achieve anything.   This, of course, is the ideal situation.

I realize that we are all not this fortunate. My early family life left a lot to be desired. My grandmother came into the picture and worked hard to give me the love and support I needed to grow into the woman I am today. I do have memories from when I lived with my mother who was not capable of taking care of children due to her issues, but I choose not to permit them to do any more damage to my life. I think that what I can recommend to anyone who has not had the ideal start in life is to not let those circumstances make you bitter and cynical as an adult. Fight to break the chain of unhappiness and reach for happiness and love. It’s not easy, but it’s so worth the struggle.

Wanda