The Golden Rule

I honestly forgot this ‘Prose’ account existed until today. I saw 2 posts on my Facebook feed that inspired the following rant (which I thought would be more appropriate posted here than to that account):

It’s crazy, I saw the 1st photo on someone else’s post and it stuck out. All I could think of, was my Dad repeating himself for 27 years:

“What’s ‘The Golden Rule’, babygirl..?” We would always answer together, “Treat others how YOU want to be treated!”

(The 2nd post LITERALLY appeared right beneath the 1st. I was like hmmm..)

I love that my dad taught me that. I love that I took it so literally. This has been my go-to many, many, MANY times in life

If I was ever confused about how to respond to anyone I found myself remembering this message and acting on it.

I wish, though, that he or someone would have elaborated. I am a very literal person. I am intelligent, but I strugglewith these kinds of abstract ideas. The majority of my perspectives have certainly been black and white. It’s only in the past 2-3 years that I’ve discovered many grey shades on an infinite spectrum. I wish he could have anticipated that.

Maybe he couldn’t see the potential harm I’d receive as a result, maybe he had no idea how closely I did listen and apply anything he said mattered. If he had, I know he would warn me that some people don’t know the rule--that there are going to be times that I treat someone how I’d hope to be, and that is a beautiful act of humanity and love, but even so, I will be met with resistence, indifference, no reaction, or something worse.. Some people will take this as an invitation to drain me and that isn’t something to give in to. That they may or may not realize their response; doesn’t really matter because I am ultimately I’m charge of my energy and my love.

I wish he had explained without discernment, I would be taking good parts of myself away from the people who do respect/follow the rule. It would be just as bad as not following the rule if I nnecessarily wasted energy on people who won’t return it. Maybe, that initially I should always react as I would hope to be reacted to; but if there wasn’t kindness or goodwill reciprocated then or very shortly after, to refuse additional interaction.

To have had all of that explained would have allowed me to live out the standard my father wanted for me, without senselessly losing so much of my identity. Maybe, today I would have seen the first post without feeling it as applicable toward my story, moved on to the second photo and only held warm memories.

Thank goodness for insight and progress.