Letters to My Daughter, March 2014
25 March 2014
My dear Jo,
We moved to a new neighborhood and the bus stop is less than a minute walk from our house. How neat is that! It's a new adventure and we are loving it. But we soon learned that every morning we have to meet these two persons who are always cutting in the line. I know how upsetting this is for you since you can’t stop talking about it for almost a week.
Trust me, sweety, it annoyed me too! No matter who comes first at the bus stop in the morning, they would always cut in the line and make sure they board the bus first.
So, I was thinking of talking to them about how rude they are, not only to us but also to other passengers who come and line up before them. This way, I think, I’ll teach you and show you that you have to stand on your ground when somebody else is taking away your rights, that we need to be strong, that we need to defend ourselves. But then I also think about the consequences and how ugly this thing could turn out. Because sometimes our gestures are not received well by others, even if we mean well. Besides, we still get to see them every morning and I am very, very sure that they are not going to change.
So I started to think if it’s really worth it. In the end, I decided to let it go because it's no longer important. They are not important. And there are many other things that are more important to fight for.
I have no doubts that you will have days when you just want to pick up your bow and arrow, and fight fiercely. But before you pick up your arrow and bow, please remember to think ahead. Think about how your decision and act will affect you, others, or your life entirely not only in that moment, but most importantly in the days that will come afterwards.
I remember I once read a quote from an author, C. JoyBell. She wrote, “Choose your battle wisely. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stoop up to fight. It’s not winning battles that makes you happy, but it’s how many times you turned away and chose to look into a better direction. Life is too short to spend it on warring. Fight only the most, most, most important ones, let the rest go.”
So my dear child, please choose your battle wisely. And you know I will always support you.
With jars of stars and sands of love.
Bunda
This month, I am linking to a dear friend with a beautiful soul, Amy Grace of A Beautiful Life Photo.
We moved to a new neighborhood and the bus stop is less than a minute walk from our house. How neat is that! It's a new adventure and we are loving it. But we soon learned that every morning we have to meet these two persons who are always cutting in the line. I know how upsetting this is for you since you can’t stop talking about it for almost a week.
Trust me, sweety, it annoyed me too! No matter who comes first at the bus stop in the morning, they would always cut in the line and make sure they board the bus first.
So, I was thinking of talking to them about how rude they are, not only to us but also to other passengers who come and line up before them. This way, I think, I’ll teach you and show you that you have to stand on your ground when somebody else is taking away your rights, that we need to be strong, that we need to defend ourselves. But then I also think about the consequences and how ugly this thing could turn out. Because sometimes our gestures are not received well by others, even if we mean well. Besides, we still get to see them every morning and I am very, very sure that they are not going to change.
So I started to think if it’s really worth it. In the end, I decided to let it go because it's no longer important. They are not important. And there are many other things that are more important to fight for.
I have no doubts that you will have days when you just want to pick up your bow and arrow, and fight fiercely. But before you pick up your arrow and bow, please remember to think ahead. Think about how your decision and act will affect you, others, or your life entirely not only in that moment, but most importantly in the days that will come afterwards.
I remember I once read a quote from an author, C. JoyBell. She wrote, “Choose your battle wisely. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stoop up to fight. It’s not winning battles that makes you happy, but it’s how many times you turned away and chose to look into a better direction. Life is too short to spend it on warring. Fight only the most, most, most important ones, let the rest go.”
So my dear child, please choose your battle wisely. And you know I will always support you.
With jars of stars and sands of love.
Bunda
This month, I am linking to a dear friend with a beautiful soul, Amy Grace of A Beautiful Life Photo.
