Yesterday I started summer school. I am taking a digital photography class and a short stories literature class. I will be posting my homework assignments you are welcome to follow along.
Stories like “An African Fable” were created and passed on to teach people values, culture and about themselves. What is one story that has taught you something about your own values ,culture or about yourself? Where did you encounter this story? Who told it to you? What did it teach you?
Life’s Lessons
I had to think long and hard, searching the depths of my memory to find an influential family story. After looking under a lifetimes worth of experiences I still had nothing. I even consulted with my older brothers and still we collectively could not identify any one story that expressed our family values. However after much discussion a theme started to emerge; a theme based on the notion do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
While I personally am not religious my parents were. Growing up, religion was never presented to us front and center in an overt way. Religion in my family was far more subtle. Our house was not adorned with religious symbols and other than grace at dinner we were not bombarded with prayer. Religion was presented as a deeply personal affair. Once we reached the age of conformation church attendance was left to personal choice. Never did we encounter any religious coercion; unconditional love and acceptance was the cornerstone of our family relationships.
As I said before I do not remember any one story or for that matter any story that was presented to me that had a profound influence on shaping my values or constructing a family culture. The shaping of personal values and creating a family culture came in the form of one phrase “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Family values and culture came in the form of personal deeds and actions a credo that in of its self formed the story.
My parents were very gentle always looking out for the little guy, never hurting or taking advantage of the people around them. Both of their carrier paths lead them in to professions where service to others was a main focus. My father a dentist was known for his gentle demeanor. My mother was a schoolteacher and always made sure the kids in her charge felt no challenge was too big. My mother made sure if a kid failed they could count on her to pick them up, with a smile dust them off and encourage them to try again.
My dad died when I was fourteen. There were many people who came up to my family and told us how much they appreciated my father. At the time I guess, I was to young to understand the deeper meaning of all the comments. Shortly after the funeral we received a letter of condolence from a former patient. In the letter the man told of his struggles with various oral problems, which to this day I do not understand. He told of how my father went too extraordinary lengths ensure this mans peace of mind and comfort. The man went on to say how he knew the difficulties of my father’s profession and yet his demeanor inspired him to treat all his clients with the same dignity and respect as my father had treated him. I remember talking this over with my mother and she smiled and said. “Your father was a good man he always treated everyone exactly how he wanted to be treated, do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
The man’s letter and my mothers words stuck with my from that day forward. While I try to live by live up to my father’s actions I know I don’t always succeed. When I fail I just pull out the family photo album flipping through the pages until I come to the man’s letter. Yellowing from the years the letter is neatly tucked away between two bigger than life photos of my father smiling ear to ear. I smile back and remember Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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