Excuses excuses

Isn't it funny how what may seem to be a random comment can stick with you forever?

I once dated (if you can call it that... 8th grade) a guy who was not very smart. That's putting it nicely. His brother wasn't very smart either. Rumor had it they shared a brain. But their father really liked me. I recall talking to him one day about how his sons both struggled with school. He told me about how their mother left them at a young age and that they really struggled with it, affecting all aspects of their lives - including school.

He said, "That's the reason, not an excuse."

That's the reason. Not an excuse.

That's deep. And now, 20 years later it's that statement that seems to be sticking with me lately.

I want to be understanding about healing and what hurdles one might have to overcome to do so. I want to be supportive. Perhaps it's just my lack of ability to truly understand, but I can't help but keep coming back to it.

That's the reason. Not an excuse.

Yes, that's the reason your life is this way. It's not an excuse.