RE: Not My Lover

My youngest watched the movie twice. She was impressed and gained an appreciation for Jackson's music. Based on her telling of the movie, the talent made more of an impression than the hardship.

One summer, I worked as a preschool teacher for the children of migrant workers. Part of that required doing periodic home visits. Although it shouldn't be, it was surprising to see that the children were carbon copies of their parents. Rough cut parents had rough cut children. And the most loving and supportive parents had the children most loved by the staff. I can't explain it. I just witnessed it.

But that doesn't mean that we're doomed to be our parents. There are plenty of examples of people who had rough childhoods, yet they became shining examples of humanity. I think we are largely shaped by our environments, but there is still something intrinsic, or lacking, that allows some individuals to excel despite their circumstances.

I've heard that hardship builds character. It's implied that hardship builds good character. But I'm sure we all know people for whom hardship brought out the worst. Perhaps it has to do with the support and guidance the person has during the hard times to avoid wallowing in bitterness.