one they had to love and esteem. I never thought about how fast they
forgot my offends. But I always remembered all bad things they told
me and never passed a chance to remind them about those phrases
and words.
I remember one event that took place when I was six. I'm not sure
whether it happens in other families, but in our it did. I stole money. It
was not much money, but I stole it from my own parents. The
remarkable fact is that if I had asked for it [money] and explained what I
had needed it for, I would have gotten it. Well, I did not. I was caught.
My parents prohibited me to watch TV for six months. They did it not
because of our being short of money, but due to the every fact of
steeling. Of course, I turned to be mad at them because, according to
my attitude, there was nothing to worry about: money was found and
returned. I did not get how hard it was for my mother and father to
understand the fact that their own son is a thief. I started to cheat on
them: I watched TV when nobody was home. They found it out. It was
another stroke for them because they trusted me, but I lied to them.
When my watching TV was no longer a secret for my parents they
permitted me do it "legally." I thought I won. Now I understand that I
was wrong thinking this way. They just did not want to have me lie to
them. Besides, I'm sure they had forgiven me long time before they
found out that I cheated on them.
I have grown up. Now I regard many thing differently than I did it
earlier. I can observe my mistakes that were in the past. I'm willing to
admit that I did them. I confess to myself of acting not fair towards to
my dad and mom. But I continue making mistakes and offending my
parents. The difference is that now I know what is necessary to say in
order to turn them mad. As for them, they know the sort of things I
hate to hear.
Now I'm well paid "behind the scene worker." Imagine the
situation. I need money in order to continue my education. But I don't
want to spend money I earned to pay the tuition, but I ask my parents
to pay for me. I hide my money, so that my father and mother
will help me to enter the university. In other words, I steel money from
my own parents again. It does not take much time for my parents to
observe that I lied to them. The short conversation takes place.
Although I'm willing to admit that I was wrong many times before, I'm
absolutely sure this case is an exception. I go out of home, being sure
that they will look for me. I feel offended. Indeed, my parents start to
worry and look for me much faster than I expect.
So, I stole money from my parents twice: being a young boy and
a teenager. Does it mean that I do not change? I think it does not. I did
alter. I learned how to forgive people. Maybe, it came to me from my
mother and father. Maybe, their patience and willingness to live
peacefully helped me to understand one thing: we are a family.
People always have different attitudes and points of view. They
may argue and shout and even offend each other. Sometimes we are
offended so deeply, that it seems impossible to forget the person who
did that. Sometimes a person can be the only one who thinks that
he/she was right. People tend to hide their wrong acts. Almost nobody
wants to admit that he/she is wrong. Almost nobody wants to do the
first move towards to "peace making." But this is the precise reason
why many people cannot stand each other. If it happens not among
family members, it will not make "much noise." But what if it is going on
inside a family? Now I now the answer: people have to forgive each
other. Whatsoever it takes, but they have to forget who is right and who
is wrong -- step beyond this point -- and try not to repeat this situation
again. Otherwise, the family will split.
Very often it is hard and difficult to forget offends which your
close relatives tell you. It seems like you live in the worst family in the
entire world. Maybe, it is bad, but just try to understand that this is the
only family you have.
