Relationships

We attended a wedding yesterday. A member of our family was being married, and we were privileged to be able to witness the ceremony. They had a dinner and dance following the wedding, held in the same area as the ceremony. It was the first time we had been in that building, and I thought the staff of the facility did a good job with things.
We took a table at one corner of the room for the dinner and dance. I chose to sit where I could see the rest of the room without much effort. I like to watch people, and enjoyed doing that in this instance, because there were a lot of people there that I didn’t know along with several that I did know.
During the toast, the father of the groom told of a time when I had given him some “fatherly” advice about how to get along with a spouse (Something about choosing your battles). I don’t remember that time, but don’t doubt that I gave that advice. I’ve lived by what he said I told him ever since we have been married.
A while later, I was sitting in my spot thinking about what the Dad said in his toast and how I had positively influenced him in some small way. I then thought about others that I may have influenced in some way in times past and gone. I didn’t do that mental exercise very long until I figured out that I probably have influenced many hundreds of people in the past in some way, shape, or form. I then wondered if my influence was for the better or for the worse. I would hope that for the most part, my having had a relationship with someone would have been a positive experience for the both of us.
It’s not possible to go back and make those relationships any different than what they are. We can’t go back in time and take back the things we’ve said or done. That makes it doubly important that we do it right the first time. One never knows what parts of a relationship are fleeting and what parts are lasting. One never knows what kind of influence the relationship will have on life and living. And one never knows how the relationship will impact future action and thought.
In my case this day, something I said was handed down many years later to the next generation, and hopefully will in turn be handed down yet again in years to come. And I had the privilege of seeing it happen. I like that.