Mr. Ed
Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
- Location
- Central NY
I was a character from the day I was born
Do life's trials build character?
- Thread starter Rose65
- Start date
I think I agree with you on that.
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
When you experience the tribulations in life the effect can last, probably forever. My father lost his wife when she was just 36, she died from TB, just as the TB antibiotic was being perfected. Dad had to put his two daughters with one relative and his 18 month old son with another. I stayed with my father. In those days the benefit system wasn't designed to help widowers so Dad had to work.
When the baby became school age Dad took on his children and we all grew up with him being both mother and father. We did learn, very quickly, that things like laundry and ironing didn't happen by magic. We knew too that keeping the home clean was important, so all the house keeping domestic skills we acquired.
What impact into the future did losing a mother as a child have on my siblings and I? We all carefully considered how big/small a family of our own that we would have. It was far less than our parents. Experiencing the one parent upbringing and knowing the pitfalls and difficulties of that experience, must have weighed heavily on our decisions.
StillLearning
Member
- Location
- Minnesota
My father had a girlfriend when he was in his 80’s. Her husband died quite young and she raised the 6 children by herself. Only 2 had children. Nothing was ever said and I never asked. She was a really nice lady and I just assumed she must have had a rough time raising all of them.
CooCooforCoCoPuffs
Senior Member
Nuclear war would not phase me. Yes, am stronger and harder on the outside.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
Definitely,......I've been through the ringer several times. Lost everything during the 2008 financial crisis. Lost two wives and a financee. I'm the last living of my family. Been in a few explosions and seen co-workers killed. Held at gunpoint by a crazed killer who let me go, and killed another guy later that night. Almost lost my eyesight from sepsis. I had to learn how to reverse diabetes and now fighting prostate cancer.
All of those made me stronger as I learned something from valuable: No one leaves this earth unscathed.
I'm fine now, and ready to deal with whatever comes next.
All of those made me stronger as I learned something from valuable: No one leaves this earth unscathed.
I'm fine now, and ready to deal with whatever comes next.
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Kaila
SF VIP
I think mostly not;
Except that I do remind myself, when going thru something very difficult and daunting,
That I've gotten thru some very hard times in the past.
It seems to reassure me that I am stronger than I feel, and can get thru the present one, too,
no matter that it's a different sort of altogether.
Paco Dennis
SF VIP
- Location
- Mid-Missouri
Yes, I think our trials influence what kind of character we become. All trials are unique and everyone is different so anything is possible. If it means some kind of heroic type character, like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, no. We all get sick and hurt. Life has trials that are much more insidious than those.
I believe life’s trials help us grow by pushing us outside our comfort zones. It is during times of difficulty that we are able to tap into our inner strength. In ways, trials give us opportunities to persevere, and readjust our priorities in life. Many times our values change after going through trials and we become more sensitive to struggles by others. So although going through tough times is never a piece of cake we often come out a more compassionate person.
