A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.. and memories

I do not have a single picture of myself with my biological parents.

Why? Such a picture does not exist. Perhaps it's because my father was married at the time of my birth, to someone other than my mother. Or maybe it's because I was such an unexpected accident that they wanted no photo proof I had ever entered and subsequently ruined their lives.

Most people don't realize that they are not owed anything in this life. If you are born into a loving family, are fed and nurtured, and cared about, then consider yourself to be fortunate. None of those things are guaranteed. Sure, we ought to have those things, but there are a lot of people that don't.

I am one of those people. And I'm not writing out of bitterness, but out of concern for the amount of gratitude displayed amongst people. Consider how many times you or someone you know have complained about your parents. Even going so far as to say you hate them.

Growing up without parents made it especially difficult to listen to people say things like that. I would have loved to have a mom that forced me to go food shopping with her, or a dad that grounded me for staying out too late. It may sound weird, but I was always jealous of the kids who had curfews. It showed that they had people who cared where they were and what they were doing.

Sometimes I would sneak out or stay out late just to see if anyone would notice. I even started smoking cigarettes, and no one cared. I got more care and concern from strangers on the street who would approach me, and scold me for being so young and smoking. Strange as it may seem, I felt so loved in those moments. By total strangers. Sy Rogers said it best when he said, "Even bad love is better than no love."

I hope you'll take a minute to consider this. The next time you find yourself complaining about your family, stop and be grateful that you have a family to complain about. Then consider that maybe what you are complaining about might not be that important.

I implore you: be grateful that someone fed you, bathed you, clothed you, and hugged you as a child. You could have had a childhood full of neglect, abuse, and unwarranted hatred, which ultimately leaves you a bitter and twisted adult. If you did have a childhood similar to mine, rest assured that everything does in fact get better. You do actually become a stronger person. It has even helped me as a Christian. My relationship with God is also strong and amazing, because I am able to appreciate Him for the perfect, loving Father that He is. The Father that is always thinking about me [Jer. 29:11]. The Daddy I always wanted. [Rom. 8:15]