Letter to My Parents

Dear Parents,
                     I remember once, when I was fairly young, coming to a sudden realization that kind of terrified me.  I realized all at once that nobody could ever really know someone else as well as they know themselves.  You can spent all of your time together and know all you can about each other, but still it seems entirely impossible to completely and utterly reveal yourself to another person.  This really scared me in the context of my family.  I realized that no matter how close I was with my parents or my siblings, I could never really know all that was going on in their minds, why they do what they do, how they think.  I think it is important to realize that this goes both ways, that as open as I can make myself be, there will always be layers of myself never seen or understood.  Though this was a scary thought for me at the time, I don't really think it is a bad thing anymore.  It is almost comforting to know nobody can say for certain why I do the things I do, and to know I don't know for certain what anybody else, particularly you (parents), do the things you do.  I have come to accept it as a crucial understanding in the relationship between a parent and a child.  So often we do things to each other that seem senseless and mean and one-sided, but we must remember that we never really know what the other was thinking.  I am comfortable enough in my relationship with my parents to say with confidence that they are generally doing what they do for me and my happiness and if I can keep that overarching idea in mind, maybe I don't need to read into the intricacies of their minds and their thoughts.  Maybe we can just be happy knowing if we knew what the other was thinking, we would be experiencing mutual love and affection and respect.

Frankl-y Speaking

Frankl-y speaking, I really enjoyed this book.  I think Frankl presented his ideas in a really humble, straight forward way that spoke from experience and study.  I tended to agree with most of what he said and I think I really like the idea of logotherapy and the way Frankl approaches finding meaning in your life.  I think the idea that there is this one grand meaning to life we could spend forever chasing and never find is terrible and terrifying.  But I took what Frankl was saying to mean that everyone must find meaning in their own lives in their own way.  This takes a lot of the pressure off because I think it is just about finding the things that make you happy, the things that drive you, and making sure those are the things you are doing with your life.  I don't even think you need to know it in the moment that you are doing it, that you need to realize as you are dancing or singing and doing whatever it is that makes you happy that this is your purpose in life.  I think it can be more of a retrospective act, something for you to look back on and realize how important it was to you, something you can identify as your meaning, your purpose, years later as you are reflecting on how happy it made you.  One of my favorite parts of the book and of Frankl's teachings was what he said about love.  I really like to think that he is right when he says loving someone not only lets you truly know them but lets you truly know yourself and all you could be, and having their love in return gives you the power to seize your potential.