Don’t forget those who offered a helping hand

by Peter Twitchell

As young parents, we do our best following in the footsteps of our parents. Mom and Dad never really lectured us on proper parenting skills. I believe back 100 plus years ago parents taught their young values in good parenting by example and in being a teacher in the tribe.

The young children of the tribe benefitted from their Elders’ instructions which were engraved in our minds. They felt, as older and wiser men and women, an obligation to pass on to the younger generation the right way to live a fuller life.

Right and wrong gave us the will to survive and keep our tribes together, much like the beat of the drum. We needed to be in sync with our environment.

It is a great responsibility we share today. To help each other like best friends. A friend does not want a friend to hurt themselves or hurt others. It is sad some people don’t behave like they were raised to love, to respect and honor themselves and others. They become like strangers.

It’s true we quit following and listening to those who were great leaders. Somewhere along life’s journey we lost our way.

The right path to freedom from life’s strife is not far, it’s still in our hearts. We all work at completing the dreams of those who went before us. We all have it within ourselves to bring to beautiful life that wisdom given to us freely by those who loved us and those who didn’t, by demonstrating to us in their own wretched way a better way to live.

Even a bad teacher can teach us something.

We all work together to make it work. We all know how to fix a broken headlight on an automobile. In some cases, someone comes along and teaches us step by step. We are all experts in some aspect of life, and collectively, it’s been proven we can send a man to the moon.

There isn’t anything we can’t do if we put our mind to it.

Don’t ever forget who you are, and where you come from, and those who gave you a hand to get this far.

And if you haven’t yet, your time will come to help another person. One day your voice will be heard, and everyone who hears it will benefit. Don’t try, Just Do It!