Fun Fact:

In Astrology today 11:11 is a "divine or cosmic message, reminding us to pay attention to our thoughts and the energy we bring into our lives." 

I am going to tell you a little story about something I was thinking about the other day.

Recently I was looking at old family photos. It was on a day I reorganized and cleaned my room. Somehow, I have managed to become the owner of a vast array of family photos. So much, they fill a huge drawer. It is both a blessing and a curse. That day, those pictures became a break from my task and a distraction.

As I was shuffling through the pictures, it suddenly dawned on me that at one time, these people were the same age I am today. They lived, more than likely, a very similar life to the one I have experienced so far. They had a childhood like I did: siblings, parents, cousins, friends. They grew up, got married, and had children. I started wondering, what made these people happy? Were they even as happy as they looked to be in that picture? What did they worry about? What dreams did they have? 

It was obvious from the picture they were celebrating something. There was food and a cake. They were sitting all around the table, a couple of the men were standing. They all looked very animated and were having a good time, but what were they talking about?  Did they have a big Italian meal like we so often had growing up? Of course, the cake was something I would notice and put thought into...Was the cake on the table store-bought or homemade and was it good? 

Staring at the people in the picture that were my elders, it occurred to me that although I knew who everyone was, I never really knew them. There were things in their lives that were not shared with me, or spoken out loud for me to hear. They were all things I was not meant to know. That was something I never thought about as a child. To me, they were only Mom and Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt. 

I don't think children think about their parents and their elders as "people". For us, they are all adults we relied on to care for us, teach us, play with us. They provided our home and fed us. That was their purpose as far as we were concerned. They were parents, not people. Our parents surely had some of the same issues and challenges all of us have had and continue to have. I bet there were times when they were lonely, afraid, and worried about how bills would get paid. They had an entire life that as children we are completely oblivious to. Lets be honest, children are selfish. They're supposed to be. I think it is remarkable our parents survived us.  

Realizing your parents and elders you were raised by, were just like you are today, at this same age...honestly, it sort of blew my mind for a moment. It really did. That's what happens when you are a deep thinker. The rabbit holes are massive. My takeaway from this would be to remember that your parents and elders in your family are just people trying to make it through life. In that respect, they are just like you. Keep it in mind the next time you find yourself a little short on patience. Pesonally that is something I dropped the ball on with my mom at times. I think that would be a bit different now.