Thankful Me: Day 5

When I was in elementary school, I used different techniques to memorize my spelling words. Wednesday, in my head, was pronounced "WED-NES-DAY". I have never spelled it wrong since that epiphany. Dessert had two s's because who wants just one?

Knowledge. This word definitely fit into the category of needing to be broken down. That silent K is a silent killer as a child. Just like the word knee. Or kneading. Knowledge, however, made sense. "Know" and "Ledge". I KNOW I should NOT jump off that LEDGE.

I am thankful for knowledge. My mother used her knowledge, which she had learned from her mother, to raise me. My first taste of sweet potatoes, mashed just like her mom would do...or my hand-made Easter dress that matched my younger sister...my definition of right and wrong...my most memorable spanking, from stealing blocks in kindergarten...I KNEW I shouldn't have jumped off that LEDGE.

My father used his knowledge, which he learned from the lineage of honorable fathers before him. The piece by Bach for my piano recital reached child-like perfection, simply through the knowledge my dad shared with me. Voice recitals, my first bike ride without training wheels, my free throws, my definition of compassion and sensitivity, the stern admonishment that was worse than a spanking after I lied....all of these spurred by KNOWing he did NOT want me falling off life's LEDGES.

I now walk in their shoes. Although worn and sometimes needing inserts for support, they are comfortable. They are familiar. They may have added fabric or different shoelaces, but the foundation is the same.

My children will inherit this knowledge. They will walk in my footsteps, and they may have velcro straps instead of hot pink shoelaces for their shoes.

The foundation is the same.

The goal is the same.

To KNOW it is ok to explore, to grow, to question things and discover the truth, so that when the difficulties come, you don't fall off the LEDGE.