Life is the hardest teacher. It gives test first, and the lessons afterwards.
Each day, Life has taught us many valuable lessons. But we are so busy living the life that others want us to live, that we fail to notice or pay attention to life's lessons resulting in us making the same mistake or making the same wrong decision.
I cannot give you specifically what lessons Life has taught me but what always comes to mind if I am asked what I learned in my 24 years of existence is this:
Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.
Yes, the Golden Rule. How many of us failed to follow this rule? How many of us, when cheated upon, would say that " Life is Unfair" without you realizing that you have also been unfair to someone?
I remembered a story I heard from our parish priest. You may have heard it already but it is worth to be read again. The story goes like this:
There was once an old man who, due to his very old age was forced to live with his son and his family so that he can be cared of. At first, he was treated very well. They eat together. His son also gave him one of the rooms in his mansion. But shortly after, he became so clumsy. More often than not, he would break a plate or two, or spill his food on the table. Enraged, his son put him in a hut outside his mansion. That hut is purposely made for their maids. Not only was he put there, but he was also forced to it from a plastic plate. To cut the story short, the old man died but his son never wept. One day, they decided to clean the hut so that the maids can come back and live there. All the old man's belongings were burned except the plastic plate where the old man used to eat because his son is clutching eat and would not let it go. The man asked his son why and the child replied," If I will burn it, where will you eat when you grow old and clumsy"?
How many of us, after being successful, forget about our parents because we do not need their support anymore? How many of us took for granted the sacrifices that our parents endured just to give us the life we have now?
I know there are still plenty of Life to live ahead of us to correct our mistakes in the past. As I continue to live this life, I will see to it that I am keeping this rule as a guide. I hope you will too.
