Take what's bringing you down Let it go, let it go, let it go Who's hurting you now? Let it go, let it go, let it go

I was having a conversation with my mom this past week, and she said something to me that enlightened me. I don't use the word enlightened very often, but in this case I believe it is fitting. As a result of an issue I was expressing to her, she was talking to me about people who have difficult personalities; personalities that do not appear to adapt or change. Personalities that even appear to be ungiving at times. I was expressing my frustration to her on this topic, and she said something to me that humbled and eased my feelings. Not only that, but it exhaulted me to another level of thinking.

What she said: some people experience negatives things in their life that change parts of them forever. They may hurt others and not even realize it because the hurt they have suffered has changed the way they feel about themselves. It's hard for people like that to change. They might not know as much as you do.... and you know more. They may never change, but the next time you are in that situation, you can change the way you deal with that person. And then, just let it go.

This may sound like fairly simple advice, but I will tell you what effect it had on me. When someone has such high expectations and faith that you can be giving and selfless, it gives you power--even in a situation where apathy towards another person would seem justified. In that moment, I realized the high regard my mom had for me. And when you feel that, you can understand the most difficult people by understanding yourself a little more. It's easy to forget how intimately tied we are to other humans, even the ones that we have issues with. It's through that intimacy that we learn some of the most important life lessons, I think.

It was a long month without my mom. I'm glad that she is finally home.