Black and white

I tend to be a very black and white person. Not so easy for me to find shades of gray in things. Maybe that's why I can make decisions quite easily and have a dependable reputation at work. It's probably also why I tend to lose patience for people who are experiencing difficulty in their life, but constantly make excuses and don't do anything to get clarity or closure or to make things better.

I love to think about things and reflect - turn them over and over in my head. Analyze and, at times, over-analyze! Over the past couple of months, religion seems to be a central theme to my thoughts. And I realized that maybe I'm not so black and white after all. Good versus evil isn't so clear cut. Morality isn't the absence of bad - we all do little "bad" things in our life and we can still call ourselves good people. I've lied. I've broken the law (and haven't been caught). I've hurt people by my actions. I know what my weaknesses are, and I learn from the mistakes that I have made. In fact, I strive to learn something about myself and what drives my actions every day.

Why am I thinking about this so much? Believe it or not, the Harry Potter mania has brought this out to a certain extent. These books are about very big issues of good versus bad, loss, friendship, etc. I think that JK Rowling is brilliant for introducing these topics to children and not hiding the realities of life from them. Life is full of tragedy and loss and tough decisions, but it is also filled with strength and courage and friendship. I know that I'm going to cry reading this final book - I just know it.

On a final note, a big Happy Birthday to my little B. My super-boy is 11 today. And he still tells his mom that he loves her everyday. xo