But not always.
And why on earth should I expect them to be?
I still remember being that 14 year-old in an all-girls group home, pissed off and bored out of my mind, and not hesitating to "smart off" to staff members. I was in pain, and sometimes it felt better if the people around me felt some of the hurt, too.
I also remember that, at age 15 and 16, I "tested" the very staff members that I respected the most - because I wanted to see if they would still care..
So, after a challenging experience on Monday, I've been mulling it over and have come to the following conclusion as a Life Lesson:
Always remember who you are, and where you came from -- it keeps you humble and makes you strong. And hopefully, it will also give you compassion and patience for others... Because you once were where they are now -- and really, at that time, did you need one more person to judge you?
Maybe what you really needed at that time was someone who was willing to:
- Look below the surface
- See beyond the tough shell you created in order to protect yourself
- Ignore the smart-aleck remarks that came so easily and freely at the time
- And, just for once, UNCONDITIONALLY love you
I am willing to live up to this charge, with no illusions that doing so will always be fun...
