Life's little sentences

A friend of mine placed a small booklet in front of me, that he had received in the post, and said in a matter of fact manner that the booklet was my kind of scene, not his. I was 25 at the time. It would be many years later before I realised how little moments in life filled with little sentences influence us.

I picked up the booklet and flipped to a page and read the scripted sentence: "The best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother." There were may other sentences in the little booklet though I do not remember any other sentence. That one sentence influenced my married life so profoundly. I am still married to the mother of my out-of-home children.

The other day my nephew, Charl, invited many people to their sons christening. They wanted all the people he and his wife imagined would drift in and out of their sons life present. People who would be their sons "anchors and harbours" over the highs and lows that would face him throughout his lifetime. They wanted all invited guests, friends and family to realise how much responsibility we, and they, collectively carried in bringing up and influencing Callum. I was the first nominated to stand up and say something. I repeated the sentence I read 21 years earlier that had guided me through married life.

Today I sent and SMS to a friend I will also forward to my nephew Charl, it reads quite simply: "To a child LOVE is spelt T.I.M.E." I think I should have spent more time with my children who are now 22 and 19 respectively. I am now 47.

I know that we are born wise to good and evil and we choose a road consciously. I think there are many sentences that guide us in life - heard and read and sometimes imposed. I pray wisdom guides each of us to choose the road best suited for those we love and not for our self love. Let us not expect gratitude nor remembrance. Be grateful for those who have come into our lives. Let us not attempt to own or control another's soul. Let us love those we love unconditionally. Let us therefore understand that we must not control or limit those souls who share this world with us. Allow each soul you meet to glow gloriously.

Remain humble and refrain from arrogance. And sometimes it is good to be deep.