Bozho
(Hello),
Happy May flowers to you all.
“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did. They will remember how you made them feel,” said Maya Angelou.
You know, we go through life and make every possible effort to avoid negative comments so we can keep the peace with those we work, love and live with. It is referred to as being “politically correct.”
OK! OK! Maybe we fall short on some days. The quote above has always been on my desk, so I will remember how important it is to extend the level of respect, allowing the person you are in the presence of their own value as a human being.
I say that say no one enters our life without a lesson, and we touch no one without leaving an imprint.
If the person is one in passing or involved in our daily lives, they have a story, history, culture and personal knowledge to share.
In that sharing, our world is broadened, our understanding deepened and compassion beyond what it was yesterday.
After a lifetime of this lifestyle comes the wisdom we seek. After all, life does not come with instructions.
I look back and realize how the aforementioned cycle started, and I am appalled at my shortcomings in the younger years. This, too, is a lesson learned and hopefully never repeated.
These comments are coming from the importance of those who disagree or challenge us in our thinking. In no way does it lessen their importance nor should it change the level of respect. As a matter of fact, growth, expansion and change usually come about after great discord and uncomfortable situations.
Our thinking has been challenged and that threatens our need to be right. The need to be right is connected to our survival as human beings since the beginning of time. You can imagine what it was for the caveman to be wrong! That meant he was not alive anymore. I used to share with associates the importance of knowing that, today, you only have to be right 51 percent of the time to succeed. This leaves a lot of room to learn from error and have different opinions. Experience is good!
We fear that which we do not understand. Let’s take the time to learn about different ways to praise the Creator, raise our families, think differently about life and learn from each other.
There have been several who have had concerns about how we as Native Americans and Potawatomi celebrate the ways of our ancestors in ceremony. Perhaps it’s because of different religions and their lack of understanding of what we do or why we do it.
We didn’t have a specific church to attend or a particular place to acknowledge the Creator. However, it is how we began our day and the way we ended it — with gratitude. The Creator always knows where your heart is, and that is the key.
We knew that all things were here because the Creator decided! He decided on the blue skies, magnificent waters, forest of trees, animals — four and two-legged — and all things. Every breath you take is from the Creator.
So if the Creator decided you’re worthy of being here, who are we to decide otherwise? When your walk is complete, you no longer have a need to be here.
Let’s love and respect our differences; Celebrate differences in how to do things, what we think and in challenges we may face in one another.
Thank God you and I were not the only ones here with all the correct answers and everyone else is wrong.
You must follow your own counsel and what you are led to do. That does not mean your walk is everyone’s.
Our lessons may well be different. Nonetheless, everyone has a walk of their own that only they know.
I think it is exciting that we get to choose.
Just know somewhere in the insanity, we are all doing the best we can given the circumstances of which you may not be aware.
Personally, I am working on tolerance.
Enjoy the month of May and everyone you may encounter along the way,
Eunice Imogene Lambert
Butterfly Woman
Representative, District 5
480-228-6569
euniceilambert@gmail.com