A huge part of love
means sacrifice. I don’t mean martyrdom where you bemoan your losses or
announce to the world the costs of your grand gestures. I mean the simple
day-to-day surrender of your needs because someone else’s needs prove greater. Placing
another person’s wants first isn’t fashionable anymore. This saddens me. I believe
too many people seek happiness by chasing a mirage when the reality is that
contentment comes from helping the important people in our lives.
I don’t believe anyone
can traverse this life alone. I don’t believe in some magical cut-off point
where parents should no longer aid their children. I don’t believe there comes
a time when a child shouldn’t strive to care for his or her parents. I’m not
talking about just financial support, either. We must give emotional sustenance
when we see someone we love “starving.” If you look beyond all of the hype of
what’s “acceptable” or “normal,” you’ll find multitudes of families who bond
together, work together, and sacrifice together to reach a goal. That goal may
benefit one family member more than another, but that’s okay. Some day in the
future, it may be that beneficiary who steps in to offer support—to sacrifice.
Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman
