As I contemplate the course of my life, I am confronted by the question "Am I in the desert or in a tropical rain forest?" A very few short years ago, I was living in the desert and wondering how I had come to be there. In this reflection I am examining the stages of development that have made me the person I am today.
CHILDHOOD
As a child, I was a sponge. I didn't make use of critical analysis; I didn't think for myself--I just took everything in as fast as I was able to absorb it. I accepted my surroundings and my family routine as the way things ought to be. There was no questioning or reasoning. As far as I knew, everyone in the world lived on a farm where the whole family would work together, pray together, and where the parents loved their children. It never occurred to me that there was great turmoil in the world, that forces outside of my narrow experience were virtually wrenching the country, the world, apart. I couldn't have realized it at the time, but I was very fortunate that my world was loving, supportive, and nourishing. As a sponge, I would have readily accepted into my psyche any life experiences that my parents exposed me to. There is no denying my great blessing to have had such a positive experience; it helped to shape my character. I learned to trust people, to appreciate laughter and happiness, and to see the good in others without judging what may have been shortcomings.
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