Who You Really Are

My wife and I paid a visit to my hometown of Savannah Georgia yesterday. We spent the day at a friend’s house catching up on the year we had missed. On the ride back home, I couldn’t help but reflect on my life, comparing who I was then and who I am now. In many ways things are much better, but in some ways, still dealing with regrets and pain. Like decisions I had made, the bridges that I had burned, and the moments that I missed.

I often tell you guys, not to dwell on the past but to instead live in the moment. But actually, that is only part of the story. In order to move into the present, we often have to face our past. Before leaving Savannah, I burned a lot of bridges. I ended relationships and I cut off true friends, I had grown up with. All of this came from petty feuds and issues that I’ve carried since childhood. It’s easy to see these things now that I follow a more mindful path. But not so long ago I had to learn things the hard way.

Near the death of a father figure in my life, started to reconcile with many of my “adopted family”. My own parents had long passed and so I was taken into the fold. After his death his wife, my new Mom, became quite close. And for a few years we spoke every Sunday morning by telephone. But at her sudden death another connection was lost. But me and my adopted sisters and brother still get together when we can.

Like I said, our visit was good. We sat around and complained about our adult children and showed off pictures of our grandbabies. There are many other aspects of my relationships back home. That at the moment I’d rather not bring up. But like I said, we all hopefully get a little wiser and mend the fences that need mending. Life is a series of moments, past and present that often create our futures. So do what you can to live a fulfilled life. But never forget who you really are.