Over the course of the journey, I’ve had some pretty frustrating to tone deaf conversations about what I actually faced. I

The reasons are myriad – difficulties in articulating, complexity of the situation, lack of readiness of the listener, etc.

And another truth that I had to make sure about before sating it.

Selfishness,

Even when I was narrating some of the darker events in my life, some couldn’t resist but to make it about them. There were so many occasions where I comforted and encouraged people, when I was the one who needed it.

Pathetic, dishonoring, and sad.

But there is a cost to all this selfishness. On the surface, you look like a winner but there are hidden consequences. I think.

The world is small when you are at the center of it. You miss out on beauty, depth, and breadth.

I’ve been trying to impart this potentially hard sell to the kids. This requires much faith and dependence on God for providence and justice. Otherwise it makes more sense to play by the dog-eat-dog rules of this world.

My life, however, had too many moments of magic to believe and do otherwise. It often arrived when I wasn’t looking. Especially at self.