I will often dream of my second wife, Georgia, and of my stepdaughter, Jamila. I dream of them quite often lately. I dreamed of them last night.
In my dream, my stepdaughter said something that seemed very wise, although of course I don't remember exactly how she said it. It was rather poetic, as I recall, but I cannot remember the phraseology. Basically though, what she said to me was "You are not merciful enough with yourself."
That's probably true. What persists with me most keenly are my own faults, rather than the faults of others. I tend to blame myself, to believe that I could have done more in any given situation regardless of what anyone else was or was not doing. And that is true, too. I could always have done more. Don't we all feel that way, through the clear lens of hindsight?
There's an old Jewish rabbinical saying to the effect that each individual among us is responsible for the life of every other individual.
A heavy burden, that. But not an improper one. We fashion reality in concert with every other human being. And, on a finely focused level, we do so in concert with every person we love.
In my dream, my stepdaughter said something that seemed very wise, although of course I don't remember exactly how she said it. It was rather poetic, as I recall, but I cannot remember the phraseology. Basically though, what she said to me was "You are not merciful enough with yourself."
That's probably true. What persists with me most keenly are my own faults, rather than the faults of others. I tend to blame myself, to believe that I could have done more in any given situation regardless of what anyone else was or was not doing. And that is true, too. I could always have done more. Don't we all feel that way, through the clear lens of hindsight?
There's an old Jewish rabbinical saying to the effect that each individual among us is responsible for the life of every other individual.
A heavy burden, that. But not an improper one. We fashion reality in concert with every other human being. And, on a finely focused level, we do so in concert with every person we love.
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