There are prejudices that we have, some we acknowledge and some we aren't even aware of.
I have a relative that has gained popularity for the wrong reasons. Misunderstandings happened and money, trust and peace all went down the drain. It was a pretty hard hit in our family financially but we were still together. I couldn't say the same for that person's family. Once what was an abundant home became a war zone with two children growing up in the crossfire of their parents. The relationship I had wasn't one that merited any awards. I was a niece, wary but polite to her Tito. When the relationship decayed, there was an unwarranted feeling, something close to hatred or anger. Well, it was neither, but there was never really a reason or impression of good faith on my part. I ended up looking at a person just as that, a person.
Lately I realized that a person isn't just a person, a person is also a set of relationships.
It has been almost 5 years since I've seen the family of my relative. And I was taken aback by how much time has molded them without me knowing it. And as I looked into the eyes of the children, I realized I shouldn't be displacing my feelings towards their father to them. His mistakes aren't their mistakes.
My prejudice has made me a little blind.
I once saw in Oprah an interview with Maya Angelou. Maya said, let your eyes light up when the children walk into the room. And I have always taken those words to heart. And when I saw those children, I remembered Maya's words.
And so I continue living today, a little aghast by my judgmental behavior. I have seen my fault and would like to see other people as more than what I see, that there are relationships to them, but it should not taint or disturb how I would see them as well.
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