Every life has reason. How that life came to be is nowhere near as important as how invaluable that life is once it is in the world. It is common to harp on how a child was conceived and far too common to live in regret believing that child's purpose is any less than another simply based on when, where or how the child came to be. Regardless, once you are here, guess what! You're here. Welcome.
Now that you are part of the incredible tapestry of life, what are you going to do with it? The options are indeed limitless. While they may not appear that way at first, they are. As a child, you will learn, grow, and develop your mind, body and spirit from your internal and external environment. While you may not necessarily contribute financially to your household, you bring joy, laughter, challenges, learning opportunities, moments of enlightenment, times of self-reflection and most importantly, you bring a message. A message that unconditional love is not a concept, but a reality. You are, for most parents, the focus, the point, the reason they carry on each day. Life without you is soon seen as a hazy blur in the rear view mirror. You are the gift and the purpose for a loving parent. You are literally a slogan-"you bring good things to life." So it is only fair that you live your life as the blessing you are-to the fullest. As a child, now is the time to take in as much as you can. Ask as many questions as your heart desires, but be prepared to accept the answers, whether it is what you want to hear or not. Know that if you are reared in love, you will reap the benefits of a healthy upbringing and while you may not like all the things you see and experience now, it will come into good use at some point in your life. All things and experiences can be used as tools for adulthood.
-De'Master A. Thomas
Adults. Through your early years, you were told what to do and how to do it. Now is the time to put your skills and knowledge to work. You are an adult. It is only fair to ask that you act accordingly. When you were a child, you thought like a child, now that you are an adult, you will think like one. You will make rational decisions based on realistic facts with a hint of gut feeling to support your choices. You will not take advantage of others, but instead gain advantage by embracing opportunity for growth when you see it. You will find throughout these years that these are the most productive, most creative, most contributing years of your life. You will continue to ask lots of questions. You will continue to make mistakes and you will continue to learn from them. Career, family, professional and personal relationships will consume most of these years. So be sure that you are choosing wisely in all categories. If you don't like something-change it. Now is the time to explore, expand, and entertain those childhood dreams. As long as they are healthy and beneficial, go for it. This is the time to embrace responsibility, work hard, play hard and set yourself up for the future. At times it will seem like the struggles are not worth it, but struggles build character. Each experience shapes and molds you into the true man or woman you were designed to be. Find your unique gift, share it and be a blessing to yourself and others. If you do not know what your unique gift or ability is yet, be open to new ideas and avenues along your journey. You may not know your true calling, but your true calling knows you and knows just when and where to find you. If you have already set ground for a successful personal and professional life, reach one, teach one. "Maintain and elevate" and teach your children well. And while you may not like all the things you see and experience now, it will come into good use at some point in your life. All things and experiences can be used as tools for your senior years.
-De'Master A. Thomas
Say it loud, say it clear. You have survived the living years. There were lots of moments filled with laughter and others filled with tears. You have come so far and struggled for so long and carried heavy burdens along the way. But you can now look back and say it is was all worth it; you did it all for this special day. The day you can say your wisdom, your time and your love are the reasons you never strayed. You stayed focused when faced with adversity and made a way when the path was not straight. If you have not done all the things you want to do in this life-do them now before it's too late. You spared nothing when it came to raising your children and always saw them through. Good thing you did, because the ones you took care of, will one day take care of you. Be wise when planning for the final hour, you can finally sit back and smile. We leave this life as we came in it, once an adult and twice a child.
