The following is an excerpt from one of my book chapters.
[The setting: I am 3 years old trying to get my parents to give me a drink of water]
Knock. Knock.
The door remained closed. My father continued to scream. I made another fist and knocked a second time, a bit louder, less afraid and more determined for that drink.
Suddenly I heard a loud crashing noise. I called for my mom as my father swung open the door. He just stood there, no words, blood dripping from his fist that he had slammed into the very door I stood on the other side of knocking on. I looked down at my own fist. Oh, how different his and mine looked from each other’s.
We locked eyes as he screamed to my mother, “See what you made me do!” I froze. Speechless. Nothing. What did I want again? Why had I knocked?
From that moment on I learned to second guess every feeling I ever had. Every want, desire, thought, question, idea, hope…everything. I just knew that if I shared it that it would cause a problem in one way or another.
Parents, Mentors, Guardians, Leaders… What you do matters. Everything you do matters. And everything we do and say leaves a lasting mark on someone. Good or bad…it will leave a mark. Please, be mindful of this.
